New Delhi (Agency): Karnataka’s Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, has instructed his officials to develop a single-window system to streamline forest department approvals and resolve other concerns associated with mining lease companies.
During a high-level meeting, he suggested that ministers and officials from the Mining and Geology, Revenue, and Forest Departments should convene once every month or two. The purpose of these meetings would be to grant forest clearances and address the difficulties faced by mining lease companies.
The meeting highlighted a significant issue: numerous applications are pending with the forest department because mining lease companies have not conducted the required afforestation. As per their contracts, these companies must do so but have been unable to find suitable land for the task.
The Chief Minister proposed a potential solution. Farmers in Arsikere and other regions of the state are looking to sell their agricultural lands due to damage caused by wildlife such as elephants. The Chief Minister suggested that mining firms be allowed to buy these lands and use them for afforestation.
The meeting also included information about an application made to the Government of India. This application, submitted on the ‘PARIVESH’ portal, requests permission for mineral exploration in the state by the central government-owned KIOCL Limited (formerly Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited) and Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Limited (MECL).
Siddaramaiah urged the Department of Mines and Geology officials to engage in discussions with these mining lease companies to “rectify” any objections to their applications and obtain necessary clearances quickly.
Concerning the 2.7 million metric tonnes of iron ore confiscated for illegal mining and currently located in a forest area, the Chief Minister directed officials to seek legal advice.
Finally, he instructed his team to draft a proposal for implementing a One Time Settlement (OTS) scheme. This scheme would be used to collect fines imposed on quarry contractors for rule violations and would be presented in the next cabinet meeting.
