MINES AND MINERALS

(DEVELOPMENT AND REGULATION) ACT, 1957

(No. 67 of 1957)

(As ammended up to 20th December, 1999)

MISCELLANEOUS

Reconnaissance permits, prospecting licences and mining leases to be void if in contravention of Act

19. Any [reconnaissance permit, prospecting licence or mining lease] granted, renewed or acquired in contravention of the provisions of this Act or any rules or orders made thereunder shall be void and of no effect.

Explanation:- Where a person has acquired more than one [reconnaissance permit, prospecting licence or mining lease] [ ] and the aggregate area covered by such [permits, licences or leases], as the case may be, exceeds the maximum area permissible under section 6, only that [reconnaissance permit, prospecting licence or mining lease] the acquisition of which has resulted in such maximum area being exceeded shall be deemed to be void.

Act and rules to apply to all renewals of prospecting licences and mining leases

20. The provisions of this Act and rules made thereunder shall apply in relation to the renewal after the commencement of this Act of any prospecting licence or mining lease granted before such commencement as they apply in relation to the renewal of a prospecting licence or mining lease granted after such commencement.

Penalties

21 [(1) Whoever contravenes the provisions of sub-section (1) or sub-section (1A) of section 4 shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine which may extend to twenty-five thousand rupees, or with both.]

(2) Any rule made under any provision of this Act any provide that any contravention thereof shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees, or with both, and in the case of continuing contravention, with an additional fine which may extend to five hundred rupees for every day during which such contravention continues after conviction for the first such contravention.

(3) Where any person trespasses into any land in contravention of the provisions of sub-section (1) of section 4, such trespasser may be served with an order of eviction by the State Government or any authority authorised in this behalf by that Government and the State Government or such authorised authority may, if necessary, obtain the help of the police to evict the trespasser from the land.

[(4) Whenever any person raises, transports or causes to be raised or transported, without any lawful authority, any mineral from any land, and, for that purpose, uses any tool, equipment, vehicle or any other thing, such mineral, tool, equipment, vehicle or any other thing shall be liable to be seized by an officer or authority specially empowered in this behalf.

(4A) Any mineral, tool, equipment, vehicle or any other thing seized under sub-section (4), shall be liable to be confiscated by an order of the court competent to take cognizance of the offence under sub-section (1) and shall be disposed of in accordance with the directions of such court.]

(5) Whenever any person raises, without any lawful authority, any mineral from any land, the State Government may recover from such person the mineral so raised, or, where such mineral has already been disposed of the price thereof, and may also recover from such person, rent, royalty or tax, as the case may be, for the period during which the land was occupied by such person without any lawful authority.

(6) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal procedure, 1973, an offence under sub-section(1) shall be cognizable.

Cognizance of offences

22. No court shall take cognizance of any offence punishable under this Act or any rules made thereunder except upon complaint in writing made by a person authorised in this behalf by the Central Government or the State Government.

Offences by companies

23 (1) If the person committing an offence under this Act or any rules made thereunder is a company, every person who at the time the offence was committed was in charge of, and was responsible to the company for the conduct of the business of the company, shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly:

Provided that nothing contained in this sub-section shall render any such person liable to any punishment, if he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence.

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), where an offence under this Act has been committed with the consent or connivance of any director, manager, secretary or other officer of the company, such director, manager, secretary or other officer shall be deemed to be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.

Explanation – For the purposes of this section.

(a) "company" means any body corporate and includes a firm or other association of individuals;

(b) "director" in relation to a firm means a partner in the firm.

Compounding of offences

23A (1) Any offence punishable under this Act or any rule made thereunder may, either before or after the institution of the prosecution, be compounded by the person authorised under section 22 to make a complaint to the court with respect to that offence, on payment to that person, for credit to the Government, of such sum as that person may specify:

Provided that in the case of an offence punishable with fine only, no such sum shall exceed the maximum amount of fine which may be imposed for that offence.

(2) Where an offence is compounded under sub-section (1), no proceeding or further proceeding , as the case may be, shall be taken against the offender in respect of the offence so compounded, and the offender, if in custody, shall be released forthwith.

[23B Power to search

If any gazetted officer of the Central or a State Government authorised by the Central Government [or a State Government, as the case may be] in this behalf by general or special order has reason to believe that any mineral has been raised in contravention of the provisions of this Act or rules made thereunder or any document or thing in relation to such mineral is secreted in any place [or vehicle], he may search for such mineral, document or thing and the provisions of section 100 of the Code of Criminal procedure, 1973 shall apply to every such search.]

[23C (1) The State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, make rules for preventing illegal mining, transportation and storage of minerals and for the purposes connected therewith.

(2) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may provide for all or any of the following matters, namely:-

  1. establishment of check-posts for checking of minerals under transit;
  2. establishment of weigh-bridges to measure the quantity of mineral being transported;
  3. regulation of mineral being transported from the area granted under a prospecting licence or a mining lease or a quarrying licence or a permit, in whatever name the permission to excavate minerals, has been given;
  4. inspection, checking and search of minerals at the place of excavation or storage or during transit;
  5. maintenance of registers and forms for the purposes of these rules;
  6. the period within which and the authority to which applications for revision of any order passed by any authority be preferred under any rule made under this section and the fees to be paid therefor and powers of such authority for disposing of such applications; and
  7. any other matter which is required to be, or may be, prescribed for the purpose of prevention of illegal mining, transportation and storage of minerals.

(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in section 30, the Central Government shall have no power to revise any order passed by a State Government or any of its authorised officers or any authority under the rules made under sub-sections (1) and (2).]

Power of entry and inspection

24 (1) For the purpose of ascertaining the position of the working, actual or prospective, of any mine or abandoned mine or for any other purpose connected with this Act or the rules made thereunder, any person authorised by the [Central Government or a State Government] in this behalf, by general [ ] order, may-

(a) enter and inspect any mine;

(b) survey and take measurements in any such mine;

(c) weigh, measure or take measurements of the stocks of minerals lying at any mine;

(d) examine any document, book, register, or record in the possession or power of any person having the control of, or connected with, any mine and place marks of identification thereon, and take extracts from or make copies of such document, book, register or record;

(e) order the production of any such document, book, register, record, as is referred to in clause (d); and

(f) examine any person having the control of, or connected with, any mine.

(2) Every person authorised by the [Central Government or a State Government] under sub-section (1) shall be deemed to be a public servant within the meaning of section 21 of the Indian Penal Code, and every person to whom an order or summons is issued by virtue of the power conferred by clause (c) or clause (f) of that sub-section shall be legally bound to comply with such order or summons, as the case may be.

Rights and liabilities of a holder of reconnaissance permit, prospecting licence or mining lease

24A (1) On the issue of a [reconnaissance permit, prospecting licence or mining lease] under this Act and the rules made thereunder, it shall be lawful for the [holder of such permit, licence or lease], his agents or his servants or workmen to enter the lands over which [such permit, lease or licence had been granted] alt all times during its currency and carry out all such [reconnaissance, prospecting or mining operations] as may be prescribed:

Provided that no person shall enter into any building or upon an enclosed court or garden attached to a dwelling-house(except with the consent of the occupier thereof) without previously giving such occupier at least seven days notice in writing of his intention to do so.

(2) The holder of a [reconnaissance permit, prospecting licence or mining lease] referred to in sub-section (1) shall be liable to pay compensation in such manner as may be prescribed to the occupier of the surface of the land granted under [such permit, licence or lease] for any loss or damage which is likely to arise or has arisen from or in consequence of the [reconnaissance, mining or prospecting operations].

(3) The amount of compensation payable under sub-section(2) shall be determined by the State Government in the manner prescribed.

Recovery of certain sums as arrears of land revenue.

25 (1) Any rent, royalty, tax, fee or other sum due to the Government under this Act or the rules made thereunder or under the terms and conditions of any [reconnaissance permit, prospecting licence or mining lease] may, on a certificate of such officer as may be specified by the State Government in this behalf by general or special order, be recovered in the same manner as an arrear of land revenue.

(2) Any rent, royalty, tax, fee or other sum due to the Government either under this Act or any rule made thereunder or under the terms and conditions of any [reconnaissance permit, prospecting licence or mining lease] may, on a certificate of such officer as may be specified by the State Government in this behalf by general or special order, be recovered in the same manner as if it were an arrear of land revenue and every such sum which becomes due to the Government after the commencement of the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Amendment Act, 1972, together with the interest due thereon shall be a first charge on the assets of the holder of the [reconnaissance permit, prospecting licence or mining lease], as the case may be.

Delegation of powers

26 (1) The Central Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, direct that any power exercisable by it under this Act may, in relation to such matters and subject to such conditions, if any, as may be specified in the notification be exercisable also by –

(a) Such officer or authority subordinate to the Central Government; or

(b) Such State Government or such officer or authority subordinate to a State Government; as may be specified in the notification.

(2) The State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, direct that any power exercisable by it under this Act may, in relation to such matters and subject to such conditions, if any, as may be specified in the notification, be exercisable also by such officer or authority subordinate to the State Government as may be specified in the notification.

(3) Any rules made by the Central Government under this Act may confer powers and impose duties or authorise the conferring of powers and imposition of duties upon any State Government or any officer or authority subordinate thereto.

Protection of action taken in good faith

27. No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall lie against any person for anything which is in good faith done or intended to be done under this Act.

Rules and notifications to be laid before Parliament and certain rules to be approved by Parliament

28 (1) Every rule and every notification made by the Central Government under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each house of Parliament while it is in session for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the successive sessions aforesaid, both houses agree in making any modification in the rule or notification or both houses agree that the rule or notification should not be made, the rule or notification shall thereafter have effect only in such modified from or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule or notification.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of rule making power vested in the Central Government, no rules made with reference to clause (c) of sub-section (2) of section 16 shall come into force until they have been approved, whether with or without modifications, by each House of Parliament.

[(3) Every rule and every notification made by the State Government under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each House of the State Legislature where it consists of two Houses, or where such Legislature consists one House, before that House.]

Existing rules to continue

29 All rules made or purporting to have been made under the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1948, shall, in so far as they relate to matters for which provision is made in this Act and are not inconsistent therewith, be deemed to have been made under this Act as if this Act had been in force on the date on which such rules were made and shall continue in force unless and until they are superseded by any rules made under this Act.

Power of revision of Central Government

30 The Central Government may, of its own motion or on application made within the prescribed time by an aggrieved party, revise any order made by a State Government or other authority in exercise of the powers conferred on it by or under this Act [with respect to any mineral other than a minor mineral.]

Special provisions relating to mining leases for coal granted before 25th October, 1949

30A Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, the provisions of sub-section (1) of section 9 and sub-section (1) of section 16 shall not apply to or in relation to mining leases granted before the 25th day of October, 1949, in respect of coal, but the Central Government, if it is satisfied that it is expedient so to do, may be, by notification in the Official Gazette, direct that all or any of the said provisions (including any rules made under sections 13 and 18) shall apply to or in relation to such leases subject to such exceptions and modifications, if any, as may be specified in that or in any subsequent notification.

Relaxation of rules in special cases

31. The Central Government may, if it is of opinion that in the interests of mineral development it is necessary so to do, by order in writing and for reasons to be recorded, authorise in any case the grant, renewal or transfer of any [reconnaissance permit, prospecting licence or mining lease], or the working of any mine for the purpose of searching for or winning any mineral, on terms and conditions different from those laid down in the rules made under section 13.

32. [Amendments to Act 53 of 1948] Rep. By the Repealing and Amending Act, 1960 (58 of 1960 ), S. 2 and Sch. I.

Validation of certain acts and indemnity
  1. All acts of executive authority done, proceedings taken and sentences passed under the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1948, with respect to the regulation of mines and the development of minerals during the period commencing on the 26th day of January, 1950, and ending with the date of commencement of this Act by the Government or by any officer of the Government or by any other authority, in the belief or purported belief that the acts, proceedings of sentences were being done, taken or passed under the said Act, shall be as valid and operative as if they had been done, taken or passed in accordance with law, and no suit or other legal proceeding shall be maintained or continued against any person whatsoever, on the ground that any such acts, proceedings or sentences were not done, taken or passed in accordance with law.