New Delhi, August 6 (Odisha.in) Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik Monday expressed his concern over the non sharing of draft mineral policy 2007 to the mineral rich states by the central government.
Patnaik who along with the chief minister of Jharkhand, Chhatisgarh, Karnataka and Rajasthan met union home minister Shivraj Patil and union minister for mines Sis Ram Ola demanded that the recommendations made by the group of ministers should be tabled for discussion with the five chief ministers prior being placed before the union cabinet.
Patnaik also signed a memorandum with the other chief ministers which an official release said is being sent to the Prime Minister.
The Chief Ministers reiterated their demand made to the Prime Minister in December 2006 about the issue mineral rights of the states in order to ensure value addition within the State.
The states also demanded 20 -25% 8C’ valorem based royalty on iron ore instead of the current tonnage and quality based royalty that pays the states very meagerly.
The meeting also underpinned the need for value addition within the states that owned the mineral resources in view of the irony of the mineral rich states being the most backwards and the poorest regions of the country.
These states were keen on this in view of need to maximize mployment opportunities to the local youth, enhance generation of tax and non tax revenue and for promotion of down stream and ancillary industries and for infrastructure such as roads, railways and ports for which they had consciously adopted such a policy.
Patnaik piloted the initiative who held a meeting with the CMs in Orissa Bhavan from Where the CMs left for the meeting ‘with the Union ministers.
Odisha.in