Odisha sitting over too many applications for PL/ML

Odisha Channel Bureau Bhubaneswar, July 28: The Naveen Patnaik Government has been sitting over hundreds of applications for Prospecting Licence (PL) and Mining Lease (ML) as the rate of disposal of such applications was slow.As per circular issued by the State Government in May 1966, applications are received by concerned Collectors and processed by Circle Offices who will obtain orders of the Collector for forwarding the same to the DMO and submission to the Government for final decision.Rule 63 A of Mineral Concession Rule 1960, requires the Government to dispose applications for grant of PL within nine months and ML within 12 months from date of its receipt.Under Section 9 and Section 22 of MMDR Act, an application for the grant of PL/ML shall be made to the State Government through an authorised officer.According to a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India that was tabled in the State Assembly on Monday, audit noticed that in five out of seven Circles the pendency of PL applications increased from 440 in 2007 to 974 in 2012 and ML applications increased from 777 in 2007 to 843 in 2012, and in respect of other two circles, DMO and Government did not furnish the required information.“Government replied that the applications were pending for want of reports from Forest and Revenue authorities.However, the fact remained that applications for PL/ML were not timely disposed of,” the CAG said.The highest number of 617 applications for Prospecting Licence and 695 applications for Mining Lease were pending in Keonjhar Circle as on March 31, 2012, according to the CAG.