Latest News | Centre Asks Five States to Identify for Auction at Least 5 Mineral Blocks with Pre-embedded Clearances: Joshi

New Delhi, Dec 10 (PTI) The Centre on Thursday said it has asked five states Gujarat, Odisha, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to identify for auction at least five mineral blocks with pre-embedded clearances.

To boost investment, the Centre has providded the auction of mineral blocks with pre-embedded clearances for mining projects, Coal and Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi said during a webinar on 'Strategic Importance of Mining'.

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"We have requested the states of Gujarat, Odisha, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to identify at least five mineral blocks for auction with pre-embedded clarances. I have requested five (states) but if any state comes forward and offers for pre-embedded clearances, the Government of India is open for that," the minister said.

The move will ensure that mining activity continues without hindrance.

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The minister further said that in the mining sector many reforms are in pipeline.

"Very shortly most investment and industrial friendly mining reforms are going to come out," he said.

The reforms, he stressed, will bring a major change in the mining sector and will result in the growth of economy and creation of job.

Stating that infrastructure will become identity of modern India, the minister said that to operate coal transport facilities, 39 first mile connectivity projects at an expenditure of Rs 18,000 crore are in various stages of implementation.

Coal PSUs, he said, have an investment plan of almost Rs 2.5 lakh crore by 2030.

Also, Joshi said by 2022 there will be a new Parliament building with all technological facilities "so that Parliament can be also made paperless".

"This Parliament building is almost ...100 years old and many innovations have been taken place from time to time. But to cater to the need of today's requirement, (we) needed a new Parliament building," he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)