MINISTRY OF MINES
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 1 September, 2023
G.S.R. 648(E).—In exercise of the powers conferred by section 13 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (67 of 1957), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules further to amend the Mineral (Auction) Rules, 2015, namely:—
1. Short title and commencement:— (1) These rules may be called the Mineral (Auction) Amendment Rules, 2023. (2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
2. In the Mineral (Auction) Rules, 2015 (hereinafter referred to as the said rules), in rule 5, in sub-rule (2), the following proviso shall be inserted, namely:
“Provided that where details of the land is available in the Prime Minister Gati Shakti – National Master Plan for Multi-modal Connectivity platform or land record portal of the State Government or any other Government authority, the State Government may use such details for classification of the land”.
3. In the said rules, in rule 9,
(i) in sub-rule (1), n clause (a), for the words “land not owned by the State Government; and”the following shall be substituted, namely:
“land not owned by the State Government:
Provided that where details of the land is available in the Prime Minister Gati Shakti – National Master Plan for Multi-modal Connectivity platform or land record portal of the State Government or any other Government authority, the State Government may use such details for classification of the land; and”;
(ii) in sub-rule (2), n cause (b), for the words “land not owned by the State Government; and” the following proviso shall be substituted, namely:
“land not owned by the State Government:
Provided that where details of the land is available in the Prime Minister Gati Shakti – National Master Plan for Multi-modal Connectivity platform or land record portal of the State Government or any other Government authority, the State Government may use such details for classification of the land; and”;
4. In the said rules, after rule 9A, the following rule shall be inserted, namely:—
“9B. Conduct of auction of mining lease by Central Government under section 11D.—(1) The State Government shall intimate to the Central Government the details of all the areas or mines available with the State Government for auction of mining lease, in respect of any mineral specified in the Part D of the First Schedule to the Act within forty-five days of the commencement of the Mineral (Auction) Amendment Rules, 2023.
(2) The State Government shall intimate to the Central Government regarding the following, namely:—
(a) receipt of any geological report in respect of any mineral specified in the Part D of the First Schedule to the Act for auction of mining lease from Geological Survey of India, Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited or any other Government or private entity, within a period of forty-five days of receiving it;
(b) termination of mining lease or lapsing of letter of intent for mining lease in respect of any mineral specified in the Part D of the First Schedule to the Act, within fifteen days from such termination or lapse;
(3) The Central Government may require the State Government to provide the details specified under rules 5 and 9 for conduct of auction and the State Government shall provide such details to the Central Government within thirty days.
(4) For conducting an auction by the Central Government for grant of mining lease under section 11D, the provisions of rules 5 to 9, as applicable to a State Government, shall mutatis mutandis be also applicable to the Central Government.
(5) Upon successful completion of the auction, the Central Government shall intimate the details of the preferred bidder in the auction to the State Government and the State Government shall grant mining lease for such area to such preferred bidder in accordance with rule 10.”.
5. In the said rules, after rule 17A, the following rule shall be inserted, namely:—
³17B. Conduct of auction of composite licence by Central Government under section 11D.—(1) The State Government shall intimate to the Central Government the details of all the areas or mines available with the State Government for auction of composite licence, in respect of any mineral specified in the Part D of the First Schedule to the Act within a period of forty-five days of the commencement of the Mineral (Auction) Amendment Rules, 2023.
(2) The State Government shall intimate to the Central Government regarding the following, namely:
(a) receipt of any geological report in respect of any mineral specified in the Part D of the First Schedule to the Act for auction of composite licence from Geological Survey of India, Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited or any other Government or private entity, within a period of forty-five days of receiving it;
(b) termination of composite licence or lapsing of letter of intent for composite licence in respect of any mineral specified in the Part D of the First Schedule to the Act, within fifteen days from such termination or lapse;
(3) The Central Government may require the State Government to provide the details specified under rules 16 and 17 for conduct of auction and the State Government shall provide such details to the Central Government within thirty days.
(4) For conducting an auction by the Central Government for grant of composite licence under section 11D, the provisions of rules 16 and 17, as applicable to a State Government, shall mutatis mutandis be also applicable to the Central Government.
(5) Upon successful completion of the auction, the Central Government shall intimate the details of the preferred bidder in the auction to the State Government and the State Government shall grant composite licence for such area to such preferred bidder in accordance with rule 18.”.
[F. No. M.VI-1/3/2023-Mines VI]
Dr. VEENA KUMARI DERMAL, Jt. Secy.
Note:- The Mineral (Auction) Rules, 2015 were published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i), vide number G.S.R. 406(E), dated the 20th May, 2015 and lastly amended, vide number G.S.R. 137(E), dated the 18th February, 2022.
