Lok Sabha on March 19, 2021 passed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2021.The Bill amends the MMDR Act, 1957, that provides a framework for the regulation of the mining sector in India.
- The bill seeks to remove restrictions of end-use for future auctions of mineral mining rights.
- It allows operators of existing captive mines to sell up to 50 per cent of minerals extracted in a year.
- The bill also empower the central government to conduct an auction of mines if state governments do not conduct auctions in a timely manner.
- Captive mines are those that produce coal or mineral for exclusive use by the company that owns the mines, while non-captive ones those that produce as well as sell the fuel.
