Centre Organises Workshop on Granites and Marble Mining in Bengaluru

     New Delhi, May 30, 2024: The Centre today urged the states to take reforms in the mining sector adopting the initiatives of the Central Government.

     Union Mines Secretary V L Kantha Rao has emphasised on various initiatives and reforms undertaken by the Government of India in the mining sector, while addressing a workshop on Granite and Marble mining in Bengaluru, organised by the Union Ministry of Mines.

     He urged the State Governments to take up such reforms in minor mineral sector also.      

     Secretary Rao called for collaborative initiatives between central and state governments to reform the minor mineral sector comprehensively.

     He pointed out that the workshop serves as a brainstorming session where industry representatives and state governments look for solutions.

     Further, he pointed out that the central government has made comprehensive data and information on exploration available through the NGDR (National Geo-Data Repository) Portal, facilitating access to data for all stakeholders.

      “This initiative, driven by data collected from central agencies, aims to enhance transparency and efficiency in the mining sector,” he said.

     Additional Chief Secretary and Development Commissioner Government of Karnataka, Dr. Shalini Rajneesh, in her keynote address, emphasised the importance of collaboration between the government and industry to find solutions to administrative, technological, and other issues in the granite and marble mining sector.

     She underscored that any economic activity, including mining, must be sustainable. Dr. Shalini welcomed start-up ideas and innovative contributions to address the sector’s challenges constructively and also stressed upon the use of IT platforms to manage critical areas of the mining sector, ensuring transparency and reducing grievances.

      After the inaugural session, various stakeholders made presentations on the issues of granite mining and marble mining. Thereafter, State Governments of Karnataka, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana gave presentations responding to the issues flagged by the industry association and also highlighted the Best Practices on Regulation of Granite and Marble Minerals.

     A presentation was also made by Joint Director, National council for Cement and Building material DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce Dr. B Panduranga Rao, regarding the role of granite and marble industry in India- Cement and construction sector.

     Chief controller of mines, IBM, Piyush Narayan Sharma made presentation on sustainable development framework in mining sector and star rating of mines.

     The Workshop was attended by Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of Mines Veena Kumari D, Secretary, Mines and Geology, Government of Karnataka, Richard Vincent, senior functionaries of Geological Survey of India Bengaluru; State Directorates of Mining & Geology of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu; PSUs, representatives from private mining industry, Mining associations and other stakeholders.