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Indian government forms Special task Forces for illegal Mining

Minister of State for Mines (Independent Charge) Mr Dinsha J Patel informed the Lok Sabha that the Central Government through the Indian Bureau Mines has constituted Special Task Forces for inspection of mines in endemic areas, which has conducted inspections in a total of 454 mines in the States of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Jharkhand and Gujarat and suspended 155 mines under rule 13(2) of Mineral Conservation and Development Rules, 1988 (MCDR) due to serious violations, and has further recommended to the State Governments for termination of 8 leases.

The Central Government has also set up Shri Justice M. B. Shah Inquiry Commission for illegal mining of iron ore and manganese. The Commission submitted its First Interim Report to the Ministry of Mines, which has been laid before the Lok Sabha on 20.12.2011 alongwith the Memorandum of the Action Taken. The Commission has so far visited States of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Goa and Odisha. The Commission has recently submitted its first report on its findings in the State of Goa.