If the latest government plan falls in place, merchant miners will get a reprieve. Earlier, Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (Fimi) had suggested to planning think-tank Niti Aayog to extend the validity of the merchant leases by 10 years till 2030, co-terminus with the captive mines. Fimi's suggestion was stoutly contested by steel and other end-use industries. They argued there was no case for extending the leases since merchant miners got ample time to prepare their mines for auctions after the amended Mines and Minerals- Development & Regulation (MMDR) Act, 2015 was promulgated.