Centre to hold all-state meet in Goa on mining issues

Panaji: The Centre will hold a crucial meeting of all the states in Goa on May 27 to discuss issues like illegal mining and e-auctioning of mining blocks, a senior official said on Tuesday.

The meeting, which would be chaired by Union Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, will have all the states with mining as one of the economic activities participating in it.

"Key issues related to mining sector like curbing illegalities and future e-auctioning of the mining blockswould be discussed during the meeting," a senior Goa Mines and Geology department official told PTI.

The letter informing about the meeting has already been sent by Under Secretary (Mines) AK Malik, he said. "The preparedness for e-auction of major mineral blocks and the steps taken in this regard would be discussed during the meeting," he said.

"While the states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha have put up six major mineral blocks on e-auction, Goa will be going for auction of leases only in 2027," the official added.

Troubled with the issue of illegalities in mining sector, the meeting will also discuss on curbing it and enhance penal provisions for the same.

Gujarat-based Bhaskaracharya Institute of Space Applications and Geo-Informatics (BISAG) has developed a mining surveillance system (MSS) to curb the incidences of illegal mining with the use of space technology, he said.

The states have already been asked to submit digitised lease-wise information of all major mineral leases for expediting the development of MSS.

The official said the meeting will also seek details from the respective states on setting up of District Mineral Foundation, scheme for mining plan, minor mineral rules implementation and usage of information technology for mineral administration.