-The Times of India The Supreme Court may have cleared the Lafarge mining case, but it has also ordered the setting up of an independent clearance authority. The move is a boost to Union minister Jairam Ramesh's plans to legislate an autonomous National Environment Appraisal and Monitoring Authority. Taking the cue from the suggestions made by the environment ministry to strengthen the clearance process, the apex court backed the creation of...
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100% mining royalty for the displaced in the draft Mining Bill, feels Pranab Mukherjee led panel
-The Economic Times A group of ministers formed to approve the draft mining Bill, has agreed to earmark 100% of the royalty paid by major mineral mining companies , to compensate people displaced by such projects. The panel, chaired by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee , which met on Thursday , also agreed to earmark 26% of the profit made by coal mining companies, in favour of people directly affected ,...
More »Share 26% royalty, not profit: Govt’s U-turn on mining by Priyadarshi Siddhanta
In a sudden U-turn, the mines ministry has decided against asking miners from mandatorily sharing 26 per cent of net profits with the affected local population. Instead, it has proposed that miners set aside 26 per cent of the royalty they pay to states for sharing with locals. This dramatically changes what locals will get if the proposal becomes law. For example, for a tonne of iron ore which costs about...
More »Overreaching? by Pratap Bhanu Mehta
The latest Supreme Court order appointing two former justices to superintend the special investigation team (SIT) on black money is a serious indictment of government. It reflects a widespread sentiment about the laws of government motion: government is a body that will not move unless compelled by an external force. A shameless government is provoking a thousand saviours to step in and save the country. The Supreme Court is, rightly,...
More »'Only MoEF can take a final call on Vedanta mining rights in Niyamgiri hills'
-The Times of India The Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has said it alone can take the final call on whether Vedanta can mine bauxite deposits in the Niyamgiri hills, asserting that it has the power to turn down the recommendation of the ministry's statutory Environment Appraisal Committee (EAC). Reacting to the report in TOI on Saturday about the EAC's go-ahead to Vedanta to start mining the bauxite deposit...
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