Mines ministry told to resolve Centre-state spats

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has asked Mines Minister Sis Ram Ola to urgently sort out the differences between the Centre and mineral-rich states over the issues of value-addition and delays in the grant of concessions by these states.

The minister is expected to consult the chief ministers of the dissenting states on these issues.

At a meeting held here today to review the proposed mining policy, the prime minister felt the new mining policy should be brought before the Cabinet at the earliest, after a thorough examination of all the contentious issues with the requisite statutory amendments targeted for the winter session of Parliament.

The meeting was attended by Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Ahluwalia, T K A Nair, principal secretary to the Prime Minister, Minister of State for Mines Subirami Reddy and Planning Commission member Anwarul Hoda, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.

In its presentation, the mines ministry highlighted it was drafting a new mining policy, based largely on the recommendations of the Hoda Committee report.

The policy proposes to reorient the mining concession dispensation to attract investment and technology into the mining sector on a vast scale.