Decoded: Why the industry is unhappy with amendments to mining law

The latest amendments come with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government opening up key sec­tors for greater private investment

On March 19, the Lok Sabha passed the Bill to amend the Mines and Minerals (Develop­ment and Regulation), or MMDR, Act. Coal and mines minister Pralhad Joshi said the amendments would create 5.5 million jobs and open the mining sector to private players who would bring in state-of-the-art technology. So, what are these amendments and why is the industry not happy about them?

What are the new amendments to the MMDR Act?

The MMDR Act was enacted in 1957 to regulate mineral mining in the country. It has since been amended from time to time to me­et the needs and