Having sprung a surprise that the government needs to mandate miners share at least 30 per cent of their net profits for the welfare of the populace living in the mining zones, tribal affairs minister Kantilal Bhuria has now fired another salvo.
In a missive to the mines ministry, Bhuria has demanded that tribal youths living in mining areas be accorded priority for mining over minor areas, a move he said would wean them away from violence and naxalism.
In a letter to mines minister BK Handique on December 6, Bhuria has demanded that the Group of Ministers (GoM) constituted to vet the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Bill 2010 should devise a mechanism wherein “literate tribal youth in these (mining) areas could be given priority for mining over minor areas, by forming societies of tribals.”
Saying that such societies be accorded the permission to mine to enable them secure gainful employment, Bhuria pointed out, “This would go a long way in keeping the tribal youth gainfully employed and away from being attracted and misled into naxalism and violence,” he said while justifying his contention.
Appreciating the mines ministry for inserting a provision of mandating the miners to share 26 per cent of their net profits through the promoter quota to the affected families in the said zones, Bhuria, however, pointed out that it was imperative to “ensure transparent accounting by the mining firms to check under-reporting of the profits or defrauding of accounts.
“Since the central government will be having major stakes by way of ensuring the compensation the affected tribal families, I suggest that for these companies auditing by the Comptroller and Auditor General is mandated,” the minister said in his letter. Bhuria also suggested that the gram sabha should be involved in disbursing the benefits accrued to the district mineral foundation after miners partake their profits.
He said employment and other assistance for the impacted families needed to be de-linked from the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy of the mineral-rich states in order to ensure their compulsory employment. He further demanded that a fixed symbolic amount of money, independent of compensation under the Land Acquisition Act, towards usage of land, was necessary to counter any negative thoughts among the affected families.
“Keeping in view the prospective use of the land and likely proceeds the lease-holder would get out of their land, the payment of this token amount will create sense of belonging among them and help in easing law and order problems being encountered to some extent due to local resistance to mining activities,” Bhuria pointed out.
In a missive to the mines ministry, Bhuria has demanded that tribal youths living in mining areas be accorded priority for mining over minor areas, a move he said would wean them away from violence and naxalism.
In a letter to mines minister BK Handique on December 6, Bhuria has demanded that the Group of Ministers (GoM) constituted to vet the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Bill 2010 should devise a mechanism wherein “literate tribal youth in these (mining) areas could be given priority for mining over minor areas, by forming societies of tribals.”
Saying that such societies be accorded the permission to mine to enable them secure gainful employment, Bhuria pointed out, “This would go a long way in keeping the tribal youth gainfully employed and away from being attracted and misled into naxalism and violence,” he said while justifying his contention.
Appreciating the mines ministry for inserting a provision of mandating the miners to share 26 per cent of their net profits through the promoter quota to the affected families in the said zones, Bhuria, however, pointed out that it was imperative to “ensure transparent accounting by the mining firms to check under-reporting of the profits or defrauding of accounts.
“Since the central government will be having major stakes by way of ensuring the compensation the affected tribal families, I suggest that for these companies auditing by the Comptroller and Auditor General is mandated,” the minister said in his letter. Bhuria also suggested that the gram sabha should be involved in disbursing the benefits accrued to the district mineral foundation after miners partake their profits.
He said employment and other assistance for the impacted families needed to be de-linked from the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy of the mineral-rich states in order to ensure their compulsory employment. He further demanded that a fixed symbolic amount of money, independent of compensation under the Land Acquisition Act, towards usage of land, was necessary to counter any negative thoughts among the affected families.
“Keeping in view the prospective use of the land and likely proceeds the lease-holder would get out of their land, the payment of this token amount will create sense of belonging among them and help in easing law and order problems being encountered to some extent due to local resistance to mining activities,” Bhuria pointed out.
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