Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 150
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 151
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | New mandatory disclosure for mining bidders in Rajasthan will exclude the illegal miners, says CSO
New mandatory disclosure for mining bidders in Rajasthan will exclude the illegal miners, says CSO

New mandatory disclosure for mining bidders in Rajasthan will exclude the illegal miners, says CSO

Share this article Share this article
published Published on Feb 18, 2022   modified Modified on Feb 19, 2022

-Press release by Mineral Inheritors Rights Association dated February 18, 2022

The Rajasthan government on 17th February, has taken a positive step in addressing illegal mining in the State. The Directorate of Mines and Geology, Government of Rajasthan has added an important clause to the Bid letter of the Tender document for auction of major mineral blocks. The clause-10 (e) requires the bidder to assert: “I/We have not been convicted of illegal mining”. This mandatory disclosure for the mining bidders has been added to the Bid letter as a response to a letter sent to the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Shri Ashok Gehlot, by the Mineral Inheritors Rights Association (MIRA), Goa Foundation, Environics Trust, Common Cause and Himalaya Niti Abhiyan, and The Future We Need, putting forth a set of demands to safeguard our mineral wealth, our shared inheritance.

The civil society group made two sets of demands - First, illegal mining must be considered a grave offense on par with offences under other economic laws such as FERA. Second, we must follow best practices from other sectors that manage wealth, e.g., the financial sector. People of low integrity cannot be allowed to manage our shared inheritance.

Rajasthan, now joins Odisha and Maharashtra, where such a clause already exists. We have already written to the Odisha government for a fair enforcement of this particular clause and questioning Vedanta (the parent company of Electrosteel Steels) as a preferred bidder for the iron blocks in Odisha as the company has been found to be illegally mining in Goa and other states. We urge all other State governments to incorporate this clause to their Bid letters and enforce them so the illegal miners stay disqualified.

Nikhil Dey, a well-known RTI activist and founder member of Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) and MIRA, has welcomed the state government’s decision and says, “The Rajasthan government should be congratulated for attempting to exclude illegal miners from managing shared mineral wealth by demanding a self-declaration of no involvement in illegal mining (past or present) to be made by bidders. This is an important step, but not enough. There needs to be full implementation of the principles of the "Integrity Due Diligence" and complete transparency in the mineral value chain. The Jan Soochna Portal of the State Government has a lot of important mining related information, but more needs to be brought under its mandate to incorporate best practices from across the country and other parts of the world. All this needs to be done to improve and enhance Citizen-centric oversight, which would in turn improve the lives and livelihoods of people in consonance with constitutional values of equity and social justice, and safeguard inherited wealth for our future generations."

Enclosed--

1. Please click here to access the Circular from Directorate of Mines and Geology, Govt. of Rajasthan

2. Please click here to access the Bid Letter with the new clause-10 (e)

3. Please click here to access the Acknowledgement Copy of the Letter sent by MIRA & other CSOs to the Chief Minister of Rajasthan

Kindly click here (PDF format) and here (MS-Word format) to access the press release by Mineral Inheritors Rights Association dated February 18, 2022.  

For more information, please contact-- 

Saswati Swetlena
Mineral Inheritors Rights Association
miracoalition2020@gmail.com

 

Image Courtesy: Department of Mines and Geology, State Government of Rajasthan, please click here to access


Press release by Mineral Inheritors Rights Association dated February 18, 2022, https://twitter.com/rights_mineral/status/1494712253379084293?s=20&t=QmzMfGYMPIu7zm6xKVDizQ


Related Articles

 

Write Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Video Archives

Archives

share on Facebook
Twitter
RSS
Feedback
Read Later

Contact Form

Please enter security code
      Close