Panel recommends Mines Bill

A Parliamentary panel today asked the government to consider issues like impact of mining on environment, illegal mining and land acquisition and resettlement for incorporation in MMDR Act at an appropriate stage later.
The 19-member Select Committee of Rajya Sabha on the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015 recommended no change in any of the clauses.
The panel, however, wanted the government to consider at a later stage issues like impact of mining activities on environment, rampant illegal mining, lack of proper and scientific mine closure, land acquisition and resettlement and capturing windfall profits for the welfare of local and tribal communities.

"The Committee, in view of limited ambit of amending Bill under its consideration, is of the opinion that these issues are of utmost significance that warrant serious consideration by the government...The Ministry should consider these issues to be incorporated subsequently in the MMDR Act, 1957 at an appropriate stage," Rajya Sabha Select Committee said.
The panel, headed by BJP MP Tarun Vijay, said the Ministry should also consider the issues in the relevant rules required to be framed thereunder.
The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on February 24 to amend the Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 which was passed by it on March 3.

The Bill, however, was referred to the Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha on a motion adopted by the House on March 11 for examination.