Centre to set up a Mineral Regulation Authority: Moily

Following is a report by PTI published in Zee news:

Bangalore: With the illegal mining issue in the spotlight, the Centre on Saturday said it is planning to set up an authority to check the menace.

A Group of Ministers discussed at a meeting in Delhi yesterday outlines of the proposed Mineral Regulation Authority and the powers to be vested with it to deal with illegal mining, Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily said here.

“We have discussed it. There are lot of issues to be looked into,” he told reporters, refusing to commit himself to a timeframe to introduce a bill in Parliament for establishing the authority.

When set up the authority would have powers to regulate mining, granting of mining leases and filing of cases against violators, as a deterrent against illegal mining of minerals.

Moily slammed the Karnataka government for not checking illegal mining and illegal exports of minerals, saying “it is unfortunate though the Centre has given all the powers to states, it has not been exercised”.

“They have failed to prevent illegal mining and regulate mining activity,” he said.

Meanwhile, stepping up its attack, Congress demanded resignation of Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa for his government’s “failure” to check illegal mining and illegal export of iron ore in the state.

 “They have no right to govern even for a minute,” Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters here, claiming that in a span of three months from January about 3.5 lakh tonne of iron ore was illegally exported from the state ports “and that too under the nose of the chief minister”.

Ridiculing the measures announced by the Karnataka government in ordering closure of 10 ports and ban on issue of transport permits to check illegal exports, he said “they are closing the door after allowing horse to escape”.

Reiterating his party’s demand for a CBI probe into illegal mining, he said “Why don’t they file a simple FIR and transfer it to CBI? It is a nonsensical drama they are enacting.”

Yeddyurappa has rejected the demand for a CBI probe by the state Congress which is now on a 320 km padayatra, to mine-rich Bellary district to protest illegal mining.

To a question, Singhvi said, “If Congress leaders are involved in illegal mining, let them be punished. We are not holding brief for anyone.”