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This will avoid a dip in iron production
The Union Environment Ministry plans to provide “temporary” forest clearances to prospective bidders for mines whose leases are set to expire in March 2020. The bulk of such mines are located in Odisha and Karnataka.
Officials said that the Environment Ministry would enable clearances to avoid a potential drop in iron production between 2020 and 2022, and catalyse moribund mining auctions. The traditional process has been for mine developers to be responsible for obtaining necessary clearances to start work at a mine.
A key change
This relaxation was necessary because of a change in the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, which was amended in 2015. The key change is that, unlike the previous years when mining leases were extended every 20 years, new leases would be issued for 50 years and they would be made available via an auction.
