LS Passes Mines & Minerals Amendment Bill, Paves Way for Exploration by Private Players

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Friday passed a Bill which seeks to grant exploration licence to private sector players for critical minerals.

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023, also empowers the Central government to exclusively auction mining lease and composite licence for certain critical minerals.

Union Minister for Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi moved the Bill for consideration and passing in the Lok Sabha. The Opposition members were protesting in the house over the Manipur issue.

“The amendments in the Bill will be a game changer. We are going to produce 1 billion tonnes of coal and make India self-sufficient in the energy sector,” Joshi said.

"We have decided to stop coal imports by 2025-26," he added.

The Bill was later passed by voice vote amid slogan shouting by Opposition members.

IIM (Amendment) Bill Introduced in LS Amid Din

A Bill to amend the Indian Institutes of Management Act, 2017 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Friday amid disruptions by Opposition members over violence in Manipur.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan introduced the Bill after the House met following an earlier adjournment over the Manipur issue.

When the chair asked whether Manish Tewari wanted to say something on The Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023 at the introduction stage, the Congress member raised the Manipur issue.

Cutting short Tewari's remarks, the chair moved ahead and the Bill was introduced by a voice vote amid din.

The Bill will come up for consideration and passage next week, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal informed the House on Friday while listing out government business for next week.

Bill to Replace Delhi Services Ordinance Next Week

Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Friday said a Bill to replace the ordinance promulgated for the creation of an authority for transfers and postings of Group-A officers in Delhi will be taken up by Lok Sabha next week.

The Union minister for law and justice was informing the House about the business listed for the coming week.

A number of notices submitted by Opposition leaders to move a statutory resolution opposing the controversial ordinance will also be taken up when the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill is tabled in the House.

The Lok Sabha Secretariat has admitted notices submitted by several opposition leaders including Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, TMC's Saugata Roy and DMK's A Raja, N K Premchandran and Dean Kuriakose.

The Union Cabinet on Tuesday gave its nod to the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, which will replace the ordinance promulgated by the Centre on May 19.

The controversial ordinance was promulgated a week after the Supreme Court handed over the control of services in Delhi, excluding police, public order and land, to the elected government headed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

It facilitated the setting up of a National Capital Civil Service Authority (NCCSA) for the transfer of and disciplinary proceedings against Group-A officers from the DANICS cadre.

Transfer and postings of all officers of the Delhi government were under the executive control of the lieutenant governor before the May 11 top court verdict.

Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party, which is also a part of the opposition coalition INDIA, has reacted strongly against the ordinance, saying the Centre had "deceived" the people of Delhi.

The Congress and other Opposition parties have also come out against the ordinance.