Latest news with #GadchiroliDistrictMiningAuthority
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Kumbh mela, Gadchiroli mining authorities to have overriding powers, bills tabled
Mumbai: The Mahayuti government on Monday tabled two ordinances for the formation of the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority and the Gadchiroli District Mining Authority in the state assembly. The ordinances, which grant sweeping powers to the two authorities, will be converted into separate legislations once they are approved by the legislative assembly and the legislative council. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis with deputy chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar (@CMOMaharashtra) A total of six ordinances were tabled in the assembly on Monday, the first day of the monsoon session of the state legislature. Ordinances require approval from both the houses of the legislature to be converted into separate laws. The state government had decided to enact a special law for the formation of the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority, which will oversee the Simhasta Kumbh Mela scheduled to commence in Nashik in October 2026. According to the bill tabled in the assembly on Monday, the authority will have the power to override all existing laws and no court will have jurisdiction to entertain any suit/ proceeding against any of its actions or orders. Section 12 of the bill grants the authority powers to levy fees and service charges within the Kumbh Mela area towards entry of persons, vehicles and goods and towards registration of any business, trade or profession. Section 17 gives the authority powers to punish those who are found obstructing or failing to comply with its directions, with a jail term of up to one year or a fine or both. 'No courts shall have the jurisdiction to entertain any suit or proceedings in respect of anything done, any action taken, orders made, directions or instructions issued by the authority, chairperson and Kumbh Mela commissioner, in pursuance of any powers conferred by or under this act,' section 20 of the bill says. 'The provisions of this act and orders issued or made thereunder shall have effect notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any other law,' says section 21 of the bill. The Gadchiroli District Mining Authority (GDMA) constituted to develop the Maoist-affected Gadchiroli district as a new steel manufacturing hub, has been given similar legal immunity. According to the bill tabled in the assembly, the authority has the power to make rules and regulations which it deems necessary for exercising its powers and discharging its duties. 'No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall lie against any member of the authority or the executive committee constituted under this ordinance for anything done or any action taken in good faith under this act,' the bill says. The bill gives immense powers to the GMDA for curbing any difficulties. '...the government may, as occasion arises, by order, published in the official gazette, do anything not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, which appears to it to be necessary or expedient for the purpose of removing the difficulty,' the bill says.
Hindustan Times
16-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Gadchiroli mining body shielded form legal suits, challenges
MUMBAI: The government has given legal immunity to the Gadchiroli District Mining Authority (GDMA) formed to develop the Maoist-affected Gadchiroli district as the new steel hub of the country. The GDMA will be protected from all suits, prosecutions and other legal proceedings against it. The body has also been accorded powers to frame rules and regulations that it may deem necessary to exercise its powers and discharge its duties. The powers were granted through legislation for which the state government promulgated an ordinance on June 2. The state government is looking to develop Gadchiroli as the next steel city of the country. The top private players in the steel sector have committed to investing ₹50,000 crore in the district, and one company has already started mining high-quality iron ore, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis informed the state legislature in December last year. Accordingly, a mining authority for the district was approved in the state cabinet meeting held in the first week of April. Now the government has further decided to give protective cover to GDMA by enacting a law. 'No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall lie against any member of the authority or the executive committee constituted under this ordinance for anything done or any action taken in good faith under this ordinance,' states the ordinance promulgated by the state mining department, which will be converted into legislation by tabling a bill in the upcoming monsoon session of the state legislature. The 16-member GDMA will be headed by the chief minister. The ordinance has also allowed the formation of an executive committee, headed by the chief secretary, that will finalise the terms and conditions of the tender and approve the tenders for appointing a mine developer-cum-operator (MDO) for the operationalisation of the mineral blocks. The protection from legal proceedings has been extended to the nine-member executive committee as well. The GDMA will have all the power to make rules and regulations that it believes are necessary for discharging its duties. 'The authority may, with the prior approval of the government, from time to time, make regulations, not inconsistent with the provisions of this ordinance and the rules made thereunder, for all or any of the matters to be provided under this ordinance by regulations and generally for all other matters for which the provision is, in the opinion of the authority, necessary for the exercise of its powers and the discharge of its functions under this ordinance,' the ordinance noted. The state mining department was of the view that the absence of an integrated administrative mechanism was hampering swift execution of the mining project, and thus the formation of a unified authority to expedite mining approvals was proposed. 'It will foster the growth of mineral-based industries and accelerate the holistic development of Gadchiroli district,' said a senior mining official, adding, 'The GDMA will act as a catalyst in speeding up the process of operationalisation of approved mining leases. It will also generate employment in the said area and boost the state's revenue.' I S Chahal, additional chief secretary of the state mining department said that the government did not intend to give any such protection to GDMA. 'The provision has been incorporated only to protect the government resolutions to be issued in this regard. In the absence of legislation, people often challenge the government resolution, saying that there is no such provision in any of the existing acts,' he told Hindustan Times. Currently, Lloyds Metals & Energy Ltd operates iron ore mines in Gadchiroli's Surjagarh, which were awarded on lease in 2007. The operation of the mines could be started only in 2021 owing to the Maoist insurgency. Surjagad Ispat has now proposed a ₹10,000-crore steel plant in Wadlapeth village while JSW Steel too has announced a plan to set up the world's largest steel plant in Gadchiroli district.
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Govt forms Gadchiroli District Mining Authority
Nagpur: In a significant move aimed at expediting mining approvals and accelerating development in Maharashtra's mineral-rich Gadchiroli district, the state govt issued an ordinance to establish Gadchiroli District Mining Authority. The 16-member authority will be chaired by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis . The ordinance, issued in the absence of the state legislature being in session, will be followed by a formal bill in the monsoon session beginning June 30. The ordinance aims to streamline administrative mechanisms, speed up the operationalisation of approved mining leases, and help transform Gadchiroli into an industrial hub while creating local employment opportunities. The authority will act as a catalyst for mining operations and enhance revenue of the state. The step follows the state cabinet's nod on April 1 and Fadnavis's announcement in the legislature of making Gadchiroli a "steel city" and "Naxal-free" within three years. As per the Gadchiroli District Mining Authority Ordinance, 2025, the body will coordinate and supervise orderly and rapid development of mineral-bearing zones in the district. It will also execute development plans, projects, and schemes in the area. The ordinance notes that Gadchiroli is endowed with valuable mineral resources such as iron ore, hematite, magnetite, banded hematite quartzite, limestone, dolomite, and coal — raw materials vital for various industries, especially steel manufacturing.
