Centre to hold discussions with states on mines auction: Tomar

New Delhi: Union Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday asked officials to hold discussions with the states where the auction process of mineral blocks is slow.

Tomar, who took charge of the mines ministry on Monday, held his first meeting with ministry officials on Thursday. Junior mines minister Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary was also present in the meeting.

It was decided in the meeting that the Centre will hold discussions with those states "where the auctions are slow", Tomar told PTI after the meeting.

Tomar is also holding the portfolio of rural development and panchayati raj.
Mines Secretary Arun Kumar said that during the meeting the minister said that District Mineral Foundation (DMF) should be monitored closely.

The objective of the DMF is to work for the interest and benefit of persons, and areas, affected by mining related operations. "We will be calling the meeting of state mines ministers to exchange views on how to take the sector forward," Kumar said.

Miners body Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI) had recently said that in the last two years, of a total 58 mineral blocks offered for auction, only 29 blocks were auctioned. The rest 29 were annulled mainly due to issues such as land ownership.

On the day of taking charge, Tomar had stressed on expediting the process of auction of mineral blocks and said a road map for the mining sector will be prepared soon. Labelling the mines ministry as a "a good ministry", Tomar said that there is always a lot of scope for work in the mining sector.

Tomar had earlier held the mines portfolio from May 2014 to July 2016.