Govt examining Hoda report on mineral policy review: Minister

New Delhi, Aug 14 (UNI) The Government today said it was examining the report of a Planning Commission committee headed by Anwarul Hoda, set up to review the National Mineral Policy and give a fillip to private investment in the mining sector.

Stating this, Minister of State for Mines T Subbarami Reddy told the Rajya Sabha that the high level panel, which would recommend possible amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, had submitted its report on July 20, 2006.

Replying to supplementaries, Dr Reddy said in a written reply that estimated demand of iron ore by the year 2019-2020 was likely to be 190 million tonnes as per the National Steel Policy, 2005.

Total iron ore reserves as on April 1, 2005 was put at 7.21 billion tonnes while the quantity of iron ore exported in 2005-06 was provisionally fixed at 89.27 million tonnes.

He said the iron ore reserves in the country was estimated at 25.25 billion tonnes and was likely to last 164 years at the current rate of production.

Regarding the upgradation of the marine and air-borne survey wings of the Geological Survey of India, the Minister said the Airborne Mineral Survey and Exploration (AMSE) Wing had surveyed in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Bihar, West Bengal and Karnataka for locating favourable locales and structural features for mineral and oil exploration.

Similarly, the Marine Wing of GSI had carried out systematic sea bed survey including preparation of the geological, geochemical and geophysical maps of sea bed within the Exclusive Economic Zone.

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