Chennai
The Tamil Nadu government led by Chief Minister, C. Joseph Vijay, has amended the State’s minor mineral concession rules to permit the sale of certain naturally occurring rocks containing higher-value minerals from authorised mining areas, subject to laboratory testing and payment of an additional fee. The amendment, notified by the State Natural Resources Department, is aimed at establishing a regulatory mechanism for handling valuable minerals that are found along with minerals and construction materials already permitted to be quarried.
The revised provisions were brought into force by the government on July 23 and published in the official gazette. According to the notification, the Tamil Nadu Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1959, framed under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, have been amended. As part of the changes, the classification of stones used for building and road construction has also been revised. The earlier broad description of “stones other than granite” has been replaced with a more detailed classification covering naturally weathered black stone, stone pieces, boulders, broken and crushed stones, metal gravel and stones used for road construction, among other materials. The amended rules also prescribe a procedure for mining leaseholders who want to sell naturally occurring igneous rock found within their permitted quarrying area. A leaseholder seeking to dispose of such material will first have to submit a report to the authorities concerned.
A sample of the rock must then be tested at the laboratory of the Directorate of Geology and Mining to determine the minerals contained in it. If laboratory analysis establishes the presence of higher-value minerals, their disposal and sale will have to be carried out in accordance with the relevant provisions of the law and rules. The government has also introduced a provision dealing with rocks containing minerals for which a higher rate or value has been prescribed. If such minerals are detected in the rock, the material can still be permitted to be sold under the category of naturally weathered black stone after the leaseholder pays the additional fee prescribed by the authorities. The amendment is expected to provide greater regulatory clarity in cases where valuable minerals are discovered incidentally in authorised minor mineral quarries. It also creates a mechanism for the government to collect additional revenue when higher-value mineral content is identified, while ensuring that such material is subjected to scientific testing before being permitted for sale.