<p>"We will intensify our drive against illegal mining in association with state governments. A meeting of Centre and state governments officials will be convened very soon to chalk out a concerted strategy to curb it," Mines Minister Dinsha Patel told reporters on the sidelines of a geological summit here.<br /><br />The government has already constituted a one-man inquiry commission under the retired Supreme Court judge MB Shah to look into illegal mining in the country, Patel said.<br />The Commission would submit its report within 18 months from the date of its first sitting, he said.<br /><br />The magnitude of illegal mining is such that over 41,000 cases of violation were detected in 11-mineral bearing states last year, Patel said, adding that the matter would be pursued in the right earnest.<br /><br />On proposed new mining legislation that provides for 26 per cent profit sharing by the miners with project-affected people, Patel said the Ministry was in the process of discussing it with various stakeholders.<br /><br />The new legislation - Mines and Mineral Development and Regulation Act- has provisions for curbing illegal mining too, he added.<br /><br />Earlier, inaugurating the 48th Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) meeting of the Geological Survey of India, Patel said GSI will soon procure a host of modern equipments, which will uplift the pace and quantity output of all the exploration programmes.</p>
<p>"We will intensify our drive against illegal mining in association with state governments. A meeting of Centre and state governments officials will be convened very soon to chalk out a concerted strategy to curb it," Mines Minister Dinsha Patel told reporters on the sidelines of a geological summit here.<br /><br />The government has already constituted a one-man inquiry commission under the retired Supreme Court judge MB Shah to look into illegal mining in the country, Patel said.<br />The Commission would submit its report within 18 months from the date of its first sitting, he said.<br /><br />The magnitude of illegal mining is such that over 41,000 cases of violation were detected in 11-mineral bearing states last year, Patel said, adding that the matter would be pursued in the right earnest.<br /><br />On proposed new mining legislation that provides for 26 per cent profit sharing by the miners with project-affected people, Patel said the Ministry was in the process of discussing it with various stakeholders.<br /><br />The new legislation - Mines and Mineral Development and Regulation Act- has provisions for curbing illegal mining too, he added.<br /><br />Earlier, inaugurating the 48th Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) meeting of the Geological Survey of India, Patel said GSI will soon procure a host of modern equipments, which will uplift the pace and quantity output of all the exploration programmes.</p>