The Indian Bureau of Mines, part of the Ministry of Mines, Government of India will soon move to annual reportage of National Mining Inventory as against its earlier practice of coming out with data once in five years.

“The practice of reporting once in five years was recently recast to three years. However, we will soon move to annual inventory, providing latest information. This will be useful for various stakeholders and investors,” C.S.Gundewar, Controller General, Indian Bureau of Mines, said.

The focus lately has been on strengthening the mineral reserve inventory by making it more exhaustive and accurate, he told Business Line on the sidelines of a mining award function here.

He said the National Mining Policy lays down that a national inventory of mineral resources will be based on a comprehensive and up to date exploration data in digitised form comprising both resource inventory and a tenement registry.

The tenement registry will give information of both leasehold areas in terms of greenfield, brownfield and relinquished areas including areas given up by GSI and other reconnaissance permit/prospecting licence holders.

To facilitate the introduction of a new system, the Ministry of Mines through Indian Bureau of Mines has started work on a Mining Tenament System in consultation with concerned ministries, departments of the Central and State Governments. This system aims at developing an online National Mineral Information System for investors by linking Central and State organisations engaged in administration of mineral resources.

The bureau has issued tender notice for request for proposal for selection of implementation agency for Mining Tenament System. This is expected to cost about Rs 96.4 crore and once operational, would bring about major changes in the Indian mineral sector.

Referring to the mineral production, he said the country’s trade balance in the ores and minerals sector is negative. Given the current levels of production and restrictions on mining in States like Goa, Odisha and Karnataka, the mining output is likely to be lower this year.

rishikumar.vundi@thehindu.co.in