India will soon join an elite league of countries,including Australia and Canada,where investors can apply online for mining rights 8212; getting data on free mineral blocks at the click of a mouse.
8220;We have asked all mineral-bearing states to work in tandem with the Land Resource Department,Ministry of Rural Development,for faster digitisation of cadastral maps map showing detailed record of land,8221; Mines Joint Secretary Ajita Bajpai Pande said.
The Land Resource Department has provided over Rs 600 crore for the digitisation process while the Mines Ministry has earmarked an initial funding of Rs 21 crore for 8220;computerised on-line register of the Mining Tenement System.8221;
Pandey said that all mineral-rich states have been asked to replicate a pilot project carried out at iron-ore rich Bellary in Karnataka and Durg in Chattisgarh to digitise information relating to mining resources,including available blocks.