Share NMP draft policy with mineral states, Naveen tells PM

Bhubaneswar, Mar 12 (UNI) Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to share the amended draft of National Mineral Policy(NMP) with the chief ministers of five mineral rich states.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Patnaik said this was essential as the welfare and development of the people of the mineral based states largely depended upon the National Mineral Policy.

On December 19 last the Chief Ministers of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Orissa had presented a joint memorandum on the issue and had extensive discussions with the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister and the Chairman of the Group of Ministers which examined the draft Mineral policy.

Mr Patnaik said the Chief Ministers had also annexed suggested amendments to the draft mineral policy along with the joint memorandum incorporating the concerns of the mineral based states.

He hoped that the issues reflected by the Chief Ministers of mineral rich states would be fully reflected in the National Mineral Policy.

The Chief Minister said '' we are now given to understand that the Centre will submit the NMP before the cabinet very soon''.

'' We are extremely concerned as to whether the various issues of the state governments which were agreed to at the meeting on December 19, 2007, are actually incorporated in the policy through suitable amendments, '' he said.

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