The Kerala government has opposed the new set of proposed amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act.
- The State government says that the amendments are a breach of States’ rights as minerals come under the purview of States.
- The Centre had invited suggestions from the public to the draft amendments to the MMDR Act.
- The main objection is against the sixth item in the note for consultation sent to the State governments that will empower the Centre to auction some minerals from the list of atomic minerals.
- Kerala is endowed with rich resource of Beach Sand Minerals and some of them are significant not only for their economic ambit but for the strategic nature also, the state government said.
- Kerala is opposing the proposed amendment as ‘State governments are the owners of the mines and minerals located within the territory of the State concerned, and under Entry 23 of List II of the Constitution and the Constitutional right of the State under Article 246(3), State Assemblies can make laws on such minerals.’
- The state government said that any loss or leakage of the Monazite (being the primary source of thorium) and Rare Earth (occurring in association with Beach Sand Minerals) due to mineral processing would be significant loss affecting national security.
What are Beach sand minerals?
- Beach sand minerals are primarily of 6 types — Ilmenite, Rutile, Zircon, Garnet, Monazite and Sillimanite.
- Of these, private sector is not allowed to mine Monazite, which is the primary source of radio-active thorium, a strategic metal and integral part of India’s three-stage nuclear power programme.
- Indian resources of Ilmenite constitute 35 per cent and Monazite 71 per cent of world resources.
