Central Government’s Full Cooperation for the Mining Department – Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy

Focus on Increasing Revenue by Opening 14 Mines in the State: CM Devendra Fadnavis

Mumbai : The Central Government will extend full cooperation to the mining department, assuring support for restarting mining zones in the state, said Union Minister for Mines G. Kishan Reddy. He instructed the state to expedite the process of reopening mining areas. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis emphasized that efforts are underway to fast-track pending environmental, revenue, land acquisition, and forest department approvals to reopen 14 mines in the state, thereby increasing revenue.

A meeting on major mining areas and revenue matters was held at Sahyadri Guest House. Present at the meeting were Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, State Mining Minister Shambhuraj Desai, Union Mining Secretary V.L. Kantha Rao, Additional Chief Secretary of the Mining Department Dr. Iqbal Singh Chahal, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Ashwini Bhide, Secretary Dr. Shrikar Pardeshi, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) Chairman Unmesh Wagh, Deputy General Manager Dr. T.K. Rao, and other officials.

Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy stated that the state government should establish a coordination mechanism at the state level between the Mining, Forest, Environment, and Revenue departments to facilitate the reopening of mining zones. He further added that Maharashtra is the startup capital and should formulate policies to promote startups in the mining sector.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis highlighted the significance of the mineral sector in the state’s economic growth, stating that the government is prioritizing mining zone development. He emphasized improvements in the quality of geological reports, increased use of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) in auction processes and other operations, and making government land data available online. Additionally, inactive or outdated mines will be analyzed, and efforts will be made to establish a State Mining Index and the State Mineral Exploration Trust (SMET). Furthermore, startups will be encouraged to secure funds from the National Mineral Development Fund (NCMM).

For the construction of Vadhavan Port, a large quantity of sand will be required, and for this, a ‘Letter of Intent’ from the Central Government was handed over to JNPA Chairman Unmesh Wagh.

Union Secretary V.L. Kantha Rao, in a discussion at Hotel Taj, engaged with entrepreneurs in the mining sector as well as officials from the state’s Environment, Forest, and Revenue departments, providing insights into the state’s strengths in the sector.