The Indian Bureau of Mines has suspended mining operations in 90 mines for not carrying out mining in accordance with its approved plans and schemes during the last fiscal.
IBM is a multi-disciplinary government organisation under the Ministry of Mines, engaged in promotion of conservation and scientific development of mineral resources other than coal and atomic minerals.
The organisation carried out inspection of 2,371 mines as against 1,775 during the last financial year for enforcement of MCDR provisions and for examination of mining plans, schemes of mining and mine closure plans.
Some irregularities were found during inspection and consequently, 1,896 violations under MCDR were revealed with 883 mines, out of which 1,066 violations rectified.
"IBM, as per the laid down parctice, launched prosecution in as many as 42 cases, out of which 17 cases were decided in favour of IBM," its Controller General Chandrashekhar Gundewar said.
The national mineral inventory was one of the major achievement of IBM during the last year. It also prepared 100 multi-mineral lease hold maps of Gujarat and part of Rajasthan with corresponding forest overlays completed, he said.
"The Mines Ministry had approved Rs 210 million (Rs 21.03 crore) for 'Computerised Online Register of Mining Tenement System'. The funds will be utilised for capacity building in one state and a district in 11 mineral rich states like Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala among others," Gundewar said.
