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The Government is aware of the issues standing in the way of speedy clearance of applications for mining licences and has taken up the issue with the State Governments to expedite the process. The Mines Ministry has appointed a committee to study the need of increasing maximum limit of prospecting licences and mining lease area, said the Mines Minister, Shri Sis Ram Ola, inaugurating the 39th annual general meeting of the Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI), here today. Shri Ola presented the Environment, Social Awareness and Excellence Awards 2004-05 to the selected industries and said, these awards will instill a sense of competitiveness among the mining collective in the country to achieve the best.
The Minister said, the Government is conscious that policy initiatives and legislative measures should be evolved with the changing needs of time to draw more foreign direct investment to the mining sector. He said that the investment in this sector has not been that encouraging as investment involves high risk and long gestation period. He welcomed the Committee constituted by the Planning Commission to study and analyze the mining laws of Australia, Canada, Brazil and Chile and Peru and suggest concrete ideas relating to investment in the mining sector.
The Minister appreciated the suggestions made by the President, FIMI, Shri H.A. Wahab, Vice-President, Shri D.K. Sahni and other dignitaries to have uniform mining policies in the State and Central level, to improve the infrastructural facilities like ports, rail and road communications in the mining areas and to help the entrepreneurs in getting early environment and forest clearances. The Minister thanked FIMI for its work for the upliftment of the weaker sections of the society in the remote mines areas and creating social awareness on the mining industry.
Shri Ola said, the valuable suggestions of FIMI have been helping the Government to take policy initiatives to put Indian mining industry on a strong pedestral. The Government will always extend its help and co-operation to FIMI to achieve sustainable development of mining, mineral processing, metallurgy and mineral industries.
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