The Center urges states to introduce reforms in the granite and marble mining sector

New Delhi, May 30 (IANS): According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Mines on Thursday, the Center urged states to undertake reforms to increase transparency and efficiency in the minor minerals sector, which includes granite and marble.

Mines Secretary VL Kantha Rao, during a meeting with state government officials in Bengaluru, highlighted various initiatives and reforms undertaken by the Government of India in the mining sector. He urged state governments to undertake such reforms in the smaller minerals sector as well.

He further pointed out that the central government has made comprehensive exploration data and information available through the NGDR (National Geographic Data Repository) portal, facilitating access to data for all stakeholders. This initiative, based on data collected from central agencies, aims to increase transparency and efficiency in the mining sector.

Officials from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and PSU were present at the workshop.

Additional Chief Secretary and Development Commissioner, Government of Karnataka, Dr. Shalini Rajneesh stressed on the importance of collaboration between the government and industry to find solutions to administrative, technological and other problems in the granite and marble mining sector.

She emphasized that every economic activity, including mining, must be sustainable. Dr. Shalini welcomed the startups’ ideas and innovative contributions to constructively address the sector’s challenges and highlighted the use of IT platforms to manage critical areas of the mining sector, ensuring transparency and reducing complaints.

After the inaugural session, various stakeholders gave presentations on issues related to granite and marble mining. Subsequently, the governments of Karnataka, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana made presentations addressing issues raised by the industry association and also highlighted best practices in granite and marble mineral regulations.

A presentation was also made by Joint Director, National Cement and Building Materials Board, DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce, Dr. B. Panduranga Rao on the role of granite and marble industry in the Indian cement and construction sector. IBM Chief Controller of Mines, Piyush Narayan Sharma, gave a presentation on the Mining Sustainability Framework and Star Rating of Mines.