India to get advanced mining system

Rs 621 crore for digitisation and software

PTI | June 22, 2010



India will soon join an elite league of countries, including Australia and Canada, where investors can apply online for mining rights -- getting data on free mineral blocks at the click of a mouse.

"We have asked all mineral-bearing states to work in tandem with the Land Resource Department, Ministry of Rural Development, for faster digitisation of cadastral maps (map showing detailed record of land)," Mines Joint Secretary Ajita Bajpai Pande told PTI.

The Land Resource Department has provided over Rs 600 crore for the digitisation process while the Mines Ministry has earmarked an initial funding of Rs 21 crore for "computerised on-line register of the Mining Tenement System."

Pandey said that all mineral-rich states have been asked to replicate a pilot project carried out at iron-ore rich Bellary in Karnataka and Durg in Chattisgarh to digitise information relating to mining resources, including available blocks.

A mining tenement system provides online data of minerals, mines and other valuable information. Once implemented, the online tenement registry will enable any person to see data regarding the status of concessions online on a large scale map, enabling him to apply for vacant areas.

"Only a handful of provinces in advanced nations like Australia and Canada currently have the system, which offers all information on mineral concessions," Pande said.

The system will be implemented in Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.

The system has been developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) with the help of the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM). IBM has designed formats on reconnaissance permits (permits for exploring minerals), prospecting licences and mining leases, and circulated them to all the state governments concerned for a database.

The official said that the system would also be useful in checking illegal transportation of minerals with the help of proper records.

The magnitude of illegal mining is such that last year, about 42,000 cases were detected in 11-mineral bearing states.

The Centre had also appointed a task force as part of a nationwide drive to curb illegal mining in 425 mines.

The task force comprised officials from the Indian Bureau of Mines, Geological Survey of India, Indian Space Research Organisation and the National Remote Sensing Centre.

 

Comments

 

Other News

AI: Code, Control, Conquer

India today stands at a critical juncture in the area of artificial intelligence. While the country is among the fastest adopters of AI in the world, it remains heavily reliant on technologies developed elsewhere. This paradox, experts warn, cannot persist if India seeks technological sovereignty.

RBI pauses to assess inflation risks, policy transmission

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has begun the new fiscal year with a calibrated pause, keeping the repo rate unchanged at 5.25 per cent in its April Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting. The decision, taken unanimously, reflects a shift from aggressive policy action to cautious observation after a signi

New pathways for tourism growth

Traditionally, India’s tourism policy has been based on three main components: the number of visitors, building tourist attractions and providing facilities for tourists. Due to the increase in climate-related issues and environmental destruction that occurred over previous years, policymakers have b

Is the US a superpower anymore?

On April 8, hours after warning that “a whole civilisation will die tonight,” US president Donald Trump, exhibiting his unique style of retreating from high-voltage brinkmanship, announced that he agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran. The weekend talks in Islamabad have failed and the futur

Machines communicate, humans connect

There is a moment every event professional knows—the kind that arrives without warning, usually an hour before the curtain rises. Months of meticulous planning are in place. And then comes the call: “We’ll also need a projector. For the slides.”   No email

Why India is entering a ‘stagflation lite’ phase

India’s macroeconomic narrative is quietly shifting—from a rare “Goldilocks” equilibrium of stable growth and contained inflation to a more fragile phase where external shocks are beginning to dominate domestic policy outcomes. The numbers still look reassuring at first glance: GDP


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter