Amendments to the Tamil Nadu Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1959.

© [Regd. No. TN/CCN/467/2012-14.

GOVERNMENT OF TAMIL NADU [R. Dis. No. 197/2009.

2025 [Price: Rs. 2.40 Paise.

TAMIL NADU GOVERNMENT GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY No. 211] CHENNAI, WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2025 Chithirai 24, Visuvaavasu, Thiruvalluvar Aandu–2056 Part III—Section 1(a) General Statutory Rules, Notifications, Orders, Regulations, etc., issued by Secretariat Departments.

NOTIFICATIONS BY GOVERNMENT NATURAL RESOURCES DEPARTMENT AMENDMENTS TO THE TAMIL NADU MINOR MINERAL CONCESSION RULES, 1959 [G.O.Ms.No. 40, Natural Resources (MMC.1), 7th May 2025, சித்திரைை 24, விசுவாாவாசு, திருவாள்ளுவார் ஆண்டு-2056.] No. SRO A-11(a)/2025.

In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 15 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (Central Act 67 of 1957), the Governor of Tamil Nadu hereby makes the following amendments to the Tamil Nadu Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1959 namely:- Amendments.

(1) In the said Rules,- (1) for rule 8-C, the following rule shall be substituted, namely: - “8-C. Quarrying of minor minerals including granite by the State Government and the grant of quarry lease for minor minerals including granite to a Government Company or Corporation owned or controlled by the State Government.—(1) Not withstanding anything contained in these rules, the State Government themselves may engage in quarrying of minor minerals including granite or may grant or renew lease for quarrying minor minerals including granite by a State Government Company or Corporation owned or controlled by the State Government in respect of the areas where the existence of minor minerals including granite has been established.

(2) (a) An application to the State Government for grant of lease for quarrying granite under this rule shall be submitted to the District Collector or the District Forest Officer, as the case may be, in the Form in APPENDIX - VII to these rules accompanied with a non-refundable application fee of Rs.5,000/- (Rupees five thousand only) and documents specified in the application form.

(b) In respect of minor minerals other than granite and the minerals specified in APPENDIX – I-B, the application shall be submitted to the Assistant Director of Geology and Mining in the Form in APPENDIX – VII-C to these rules accompanied with a non-refundable application fee of Rs.1,500/- (Rupees thousand five hundred only) and documents specified in the application form.

Ex-III-1(a)—(211) [1]2 TAMIL NADU GOVERNMENT GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY

(c) Receipt of an application made under this rule shall be acknowledged by the District Collector or the District Forest Officer or the Assistant Director of Geology and Mining, as the case may be, or the Officer authorized by the District Collector or the District Forest Officer or the Assistant Director of Geology and Mining, as the case may be, in this behalf in the Form prescribed in APPENDIX - IX to these rules.

(3) (a) The District Collector or the District Forest Officer, as the case may be, shall forward the applications received for the grant of quarry lease in respect of granite, to the State Government through the Director of Geology and Mining within a period of thirty days from the date of receipt of the applications. On receipt of the application along with the recommendation of the District Collector or the District Forest Officer, as the case may be, the Director of Geology and Mining shall forward the same along with his recommendation to the State Government. The State Government shall pass

order granting or refusing to grant the quarrying lease to the applicant.

(b) In respect of minor minerals other than granite and the minerals specified in APPENDIX - I-B, the Assistant Director of Geology and Mining shall pass order granting or refusing to grant the quarrying lease to the applicant in respect of such minerals.

(c) Where the State Government have taken a decision to grant the lease to quarry the granite, the State Government shall communicate the precise area that is to be granted on lease to the applicant. On receipt of the communication from the State Government in this behalf, the applicant shall submit an approved mining plan within a period of three months from the date of receipt of such communication or such further period not exceeding three months as may be allowed by the State Government.

(d) In respect of minor minerals other than granite and the minerals specified in APPENDIX - I-B, where the Assistant Director of Geology and Mining has taken a decision to grant the lease, the Assistant Director of Geology and Mining shall communicate the precise area that is to be granted on lease to the applicant. On receipt of the communication from the Assistant Director of Geology and Mining in this behalf, the applicant shall submit an approved mining plan within a period of three months from the date of receipt of such communication or such further period not exceeding three months as may be allowed by the Assistant Director of Geology and Mining.

(4) The maximum period for which a quarry lease may be granted for quarrying granite shall not exceed thirty years:

Provided that the minimum period for which any such lease may be granted shall not be less than twenty years.

(5) The period for which a quarry lease may be granted in respect of the minor minerals other than granite and the minerals specified in APPENDIX-I-B shall be in accordance with rule 20 of these Rules.

(6) (a) Where a lease has been granted, a lease deed shall be executed in the Form in APPENDIX – I-A to these rules within three months from the date of receipt of the order or within such further period as the Director of Geology and Mining may allow in this behalf.

(b) Before executing the lease deed, a crossed account payee demand draft for a sum of Rs.40,000/- (Rupees forty thousand only) for granite or Rs.10,000/- (Rupees ten thousand only) for the minor minerals other than granite, obtained from any Nationalised Bank and drawn in favour of the District Collector or the District Forest Officer or the Assistant Director of Geology and Mining, as the case may be, by designation only, shall be produced to the concerned authority towards security deposit.

(c) The date of commencement of the period for which the quarry lease is granted shall be the date on which the lease deed is executed.

(7) (a) The lease granted in respect of granite under this rule may be renewed for a period not exceeding twenty

years:

Provided that renewal of lease shall be subject to satisfactory performance of the lessee in the past in fulfilling the conditions of lease.

(b) The application for renewal of lease in respect of granite shall be made at least twelve months before the expiry of the lease in the Form specified in APPENDIX - VII to these rules to the District Collector concerned accompanied with non-refundable application fee of Rs.5000/- (Rupees five thousand only) and with documents specified in the application form.

(c) The lessee shall submit the application for renewal of quarrying lease for granite along with an approved mining plan/scheme valid at the time of filing the renewal application.

(d) The conditions and the procedure under this rule for grant of lease for granite shall mutatis mutandis apply for renewal of a lease under this rule.

(8) The lessee shall pay besides area assessment, seigniorage fee or dead rent whichever is greater at the rate prescribed, from time to time, in APPENDIX - II to these rules. The lessee shall also pay such other levies as may be prescribed by the State Government, from time to time.TAMIL NADU GOVERNMENT GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY 3

(9) The lessee shall remove and transport the mineral from the leasehold area after obtaining transport permits and despatch slips from the District Collector or the District Forest Officer or the Assistant Director of Geology and Mining, as the case may be or any other officer authorised by the District Collector or the District Forest Officer or the Assistant Director of Geology and Mining, as the case may be, in this behalf subject to the conditions and procedure laid down in these rules.

(10) The lessee shall carry out the quarrying operations in a skillful, scientific and systematic manner, keeping in view, the proper safety of the labourers, conservation of minerals and preservation of environment and ecology of the area.

(11) The lessee shall allow any Officer authorized by the State Government and the Director of Geology and Mining or the District Collector or the District Forest Officer or the Assistant Director of Geology and Mining, as the case may be, to enter upon the area and inspect for the purposes mentioned in sub-rule (10) and for any other purpose as may be required for implementation or adherence of the conditions of the lease or provisions or conditions stipulated in the Act or these rules or any other Act or Rules made by the Central Government or the State Government.

(12) Granite waste from the area granted under lease for quarrying granite may be sold as road metal or a raw material for production of manufactured sand or for any other purpose with the permission of the District Collector. The rate of seigniorage fee for granite waste shall be Rs.100/- (Rupees one hundred only) per tonne.”;

(2) In rule 41, -

(i) in sub-rule (1), after the expression “8”, the expression “8-C,” shall be inserted;

(ii) in sub-rule (2), after the expression “District Collector”, the expression “or the Assistant Director of Geology and Mining, as the case may be,” and after the expression “granite”, the expression “and the minerals specified in the APPENDIX–I-B” shall be inserted;

(iii) in sub rule 10, -

(a) in clause (ii), after the expression “the Assistant Director of Geology and Mining”, the expression “as the case may be,” shall be inserted;

(b) The clauses (iii), (iv), (v) and (vi) shall be omitted;

(3) in rule 42, sub-rule (iii) shall be omitted.

(4) In APPENDIX – I-A, for the title of the Form, “FORM OF LEASE FOR QUARRYING AND CARRYING AWAY GRANITE BY A STATE GOVERNMENT COMPANY OR CORPORATION OWNED OR CONTROLLED BY THE STATE GOVERNMENT”, the following title shall be substituted, namely:- “FORM OF LEASE FOR QUARRYING AND CARRYING AWAY GRANITE AND OTHER MINOR MINERALS BY A GOVERNMENT COMPANY OR CORPORATION OWNED OR CONTROLLED BY THE STATE GOVERNMENT”;

(5) after APPENDIX – VII-B, the following the APPENDIX shall be inserted, namely:- “APPENDIX – VII-C” (see rule 8-C (2)(b)) APPLICATION FOR GRANT OF QUARRYING LEASE IN RESPECT OF MINOR MINERALS OTHER THAN GRANITE AND THE MINERALS SPECIFIED IN APPENDIX- I-B (To be submitted in Triplicate) Dated ____________day of ______ 20______ To The Assistant Director, Department of Geology and Mining _________________ District.

Sir, I. I/ We* request that a quarrying lease of quarrying lease* under rule 8-C of the Tamil Nadu Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1959 may be granted to me/us*.

II. A sum of Rs.1500/- (Rupees thousand five hundred only) being non-refundable application fee for fresh grant

of quarrying lease has been remitted under the following Head of Account:-4 TAMIL NADU GOVERNMENT GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY “0853 Non-Ferrous Mining and Metallurgical Industries - 102 Mineral Concession Fees, Rent, Royalties - AH. Quarries and Minerals D.P.Code No.0853-00-102-AH-22705.” III. The required particulars are given below:-

1. Name of the applicant company with full address:

2. Names of the Directors/Partners/Members and their Nationality: (Documentary evidence should be produced).

3. Profession or nature of business of the applicant:

4. Is the application for fresh grant?

5. Particulars of remittance of non-refundable application fee :

6. Has the applicant filed the latest Income Tax Clearance Certificate? If not, whether the applicant has filed a sworn affidavit stating that the applicant has filed up-to-date income tax returns:

7. (a) has paid the income tax assessed on him : and

(b) has paid the income-tax on the basis of self assessment as prescribed in the Income Tax Act, 1961 [Central Act 43 of 1961]:

(c) Name of mineral applied for:

8. Periods for which quarrying lease/renewal of lease is required:

9. Total extent of area applied for:

(10) Details of the area applied for:- Area District Taluk Village Survey No. Classification

(Hectares) Total

11. Whether the Field Measurement Book sketch and the topo-sketch showing the area applied for have been enclosed?

12. Financial resources of the applicant : (enclose copy of the latest solvency certificate)

13. A sworn affidavit furnishing the particulars of areas already held under prospecting license and quarrying leases in each District of Tamil Nadu,

already applied for but not granted and being applied for simultaneously :

14. (a) Latest Mining Dues Clearance Certificate as per APPENDIX -VIII :

(b) If on the date of application, the applicant does not hold any prospecting license and quarrying lease, whether a sworn affidavit to this effect is furnished?

15. If the applicant intends to supervise the works, his previous experience of prospecting or mining should be explained. If he intends to appoint a manager, his qualification and the nature of his previous experience should

be specified and his consent letter should be furnished:

16. Whether any penal action taken / initiated against the Lessee for violation of lease conditions? If so, furnish details and enclose supporting documents :

17. Any other particulars which the applicant desires to furnish :TAMIL NADU GOVERNMENT GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY 5 I / We* do hereby declare that the particulars furnished above are correct and am/are* ready to furnish any other details and security deposit as may be required by the Government.

[* strike out whichever is not applicable] Yours faithfully,

Place:

Date: (Signature of applicant).”.

K. PHANINDRA REDDY, Additional Chief Secretary to Government (FAC).

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF STATIONERY AND PRINTING, CHENNAI ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT OF TAMIL NADU