Decision on higher royalty on minerals soon: Govt

With states clamouring for higher royalty on minerals, the Centre today said a decision on revising the rates will be taken soon.
Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha, Minister for Mines, Steel and Labour Narendra Singh Tomar said the last revision of the rates of royalty was effected on August 13, 2009.
The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 does not mandate the Central Government to revise the rates of royalty every three years.
Stating that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his Budget for 2014-15 has mentioned about royalty on minerals, he said, "a decision will be taken soon."

MMDR Act stipulates that the Central government shall not enhance the rates of royalty more than once in three years, he said.
The Minister said no fresh mechanism for determination of royalty rates is under consideration.

The Centre, he said, was committed to development and progress of states particularly the most backward states of Odisha, Chattisgarh and Jharkhand.
"The Ministry of Mines has constituted Study Groups from time to time to go into the demands made for revising the rates of royalty on minerals and to make recommendations," he said.
The most recent study group report was received by the Government on June 28, 2013, he said, adding no new study group is proposed to be constituted.