Karnataka Cabinet approves revamped minor mineral policy

The state cabinet on Wednesday approved a new minor mineral mining policy with a slew of concessions to facilitate ease of doing business for the jelly crushing units and stone quarries.

Addressing reporters after the cabinet meeting here, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy said, "In a bid to facilitate ease of doing business, the state government is planning to set up a single-window system to simplify mining lease renewal or granting licenses, besides simplifying rule on collecting royalty from mine/quarry owners."

"It is a major decision of this year. We are also giving concessions to quarry owners and jelly sand manufacturers. We will also regulate these units. In the existing policy, these owners were forced to pay 'double royalty' which is dealt in the policy," he claimed.

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Last year, the Federation of Karnataka Quarry and Stone Crusher Owners’ Association protested, demanding rationalisation of royalty collection.

The minister added that the cabinet also approved to allot land measuring 2,000 sqft in all villages to set up mobile 4G towers by the state-run telecom company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).

Madhuswamy said that the BSNL had sent us the proposal to set up its 4G towers in all villages. "About 1,200 to 1,300 villages of the 55,000 villages in Karnataka are deprived of internet service. We want to be part of this project. The proposed project will improve internet connectivity and telecommunication," he said.

He also said that the state government gave its approval to give freehand to the Karnataka Mining Environment Restoration Corporation (KMERC) to take up development works in the mineral-affected districts such as Ballari, Vijayanagara, Chitradurga and Tumakuru.

"The KMERC will be utilising Rs 24,000 crore in the next couple of years under the Supreme Court-monitored committee headed by a retired judge. The state government will not interfere in it," he said.

Other decisions:

The Cabinet approved an annual grant of Rs 7,246.85 cr to provide for the interim salary hike of 17 per cent for the state government employee under the 7th Pay Commission.

Rs 685 crore to build a protection wall along the banks of Ghataprabha river to prevent flood in Gokak.

Rs 93 crore to build a balance reservoir across the Shiva dam to supply water to Bengaluru.

The Cabinet approved a revised estimate of Rs 3,395 for Upper Tunga canal. The project aims at facilitating irrigation to three parched central districts of the state.