Gadchiroli District Mining Authority Act, 2025

1. (1) This Act may be called the Gadchiroli District Mining Authority Act, 2025.
2. (2) It shall be deemed to have come into force on the 2nd June 2025.
3. (3) It shall extend to the area of the Gadchiroli District.
4. (4) It shall apply to major minerals and specified minor minerals.

1. (1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,–
   • (a) “Authority” means the Authority established under sub-section
2. (1) of section 3 of the Act;
   • (b) “Corporation” means the Maharashtra State Mining Corporation Limited;
   • (c) “Directorate” means the Directorate of Geology and Mining under the Industries, Energy, Labour and Mining Department of the Government of Maharashtra;
   • (d) “Executive Committee” means the Executive Committee constituted under section 9 of the Act;
   • (e) “Government” or “State Government” means the Government of Maharashtra;
   • (f) “Mines and Minerals Act” means the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957;
   • (g) “minerals” includes all minerals except mineral oils;
   • (h) “mineral bearing block” means the area prepared for mining lease or composite license under the provisions of the Minerals (Evidence of Mineral Contents) Rules, 2015, for the development of mineral concession like mining lease, composite license and exploration license;
     • (i) “mineral bearing area development” with its grammatical variations, means the development within mineral bearing areas for mining lease, composite license, mineral exploration, allied mining activity and other similar activities;
   • (j) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under the Act;
   • (k) “regulations” means the regulations made by the Authority under the Act;
   • (l) “specified minor minerals” means limestone, lime shell, bentonite, fuller’s earth or such other minerals as may be specified by the Central Government in the Official Gazette, from time to time, and the threshold value of which is less than the threshold value notified by the Indian Bureau of Mines.
3. (2) Words and expressions used in this Act but not defined herein shall have the same meanings as are respectively assigned to them in the Mines and Minerals Act and the rules made thereunder by the Government of India and the Government of Maharashtra.

As soon as may be, after the commencement of this Act, the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, establish an Authority to be called the Gadchiroli District Mining Authority to exercise the powers conferred on it and perform the functions assigned to it under the Act.

1. (1) The Authority shall consist of the following members, namely :–
   • (i) The Chief Minister Chairperson;
   • (ii) One Minister to be nominated by the Chief Minister Co-Chairperson;
   • (iii) One Minister to be nominated by the Chief Minister Deputy Chairperson;
   • (iv) Two Ministers to be nominated by the Chief Minister Ex-officio Members;
   • (v) Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra Ex-officio Member;
   • (vi) Secretary (Mining), Industries, Energy, Labour and Mining Department Ex-officio Member;
   • (vii) Secretary (Industries), Industries, Energy, Labour and Mining Department Ex-officio Member;
   • (viii) Secretary (Labour), Industries, Energy, Labour and Mining Department Ex-officio Member;
   • (ix) Secretary (Energy), Industries, Energy, Labour and Mining Department Ex-officio Member;
   • (x) Secretary, Finance Department Ex-officio Member;
   • (xi) Secretary, Environment and Climate Change Department Ex-officio Member;
   • (xii) Secretary (Revenue), Revenue and Forests Department Ex-officio Member;
   • (xiii) Secretary (Forests), Revenue and Forests Department Ex-officio Member;
   • (xiv) Director General, Directorate of Geology and Mining Ex-officio Member;
   • (xv) Collector, Gadchiroli District Ex-officio Member;
   • (xvi) Managing Director, Maharashtra State Mining Corporation Limited Member- Secretary.
2. (2) The Authority may invite any officer of the Government or local authority to attend its meeting or meetings as a special invitee for the purpose of assisting or advising it on any matter or matters. The officer so invited may take part in the proceedings of the Authority, but shall have no right to vote.
3. (3) A person shall cease to hold office as a member of the Authority, as soon as he ceases to hold the post, designation or office, as the case may be, by virtue of which he is so appointed and such person shall inform the Chairperson in writing of his having so ceased to be the member of the Authority, within a week therefrom.
4. (4) The Managing Director of the Corporation shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Authority and shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as the Authority may direct.

1. (1) The Authority shall meet not less than thrice in every year, and a period of not more than four months shall intervene between two successive meetings and shall observe such rules of procedure in its meetings as it may determine.
2. (2) The meeting of the Authority shall be conducted at Nagpur or at such other place as the Chairperson may decide.
3. (3) The quorum of the meeting shall be minimum nine members including Chairperson.

The Authority shall have the following objectives, namely :—

1. (a) to expedite the process of development of major and specified minor minerals blocks in the Gadchiroli District;
2. (b) to co-ordinate between various mineral concession holders and mineral based industries;
3. (c) to facilitate the setting up of Ultra Mega Steel Plants and ensure supply of iron ore raw material to them;
4. (d) to develop the Gadchiroli District as steel hub;
5. (e) to take measures for facilitation and for setting up mineral based industries in the Gadchiroli District;
6. (f) to monitor the mining projects in the Gadchiroli District.

No act or proceeding of the Authority or Executive Committee shall be invalid by reason only of a vacancy therein, or any defect in the appointment of any person acting as the Chairperson or Co-Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson or Member, if such act or proceeding is otherwise in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

The Authority shall exercise the following powers and perform the following functions, namely :—

)a( to streamline and accelerate the systematic development of major

and specified minor minerals in the Gadchiroli District, in accordance with the Mines and Minerals Act and the rules made thereunder;

)b( to ensure compliance of provisions of the Mines and Minerals Act,

Mineral Concession Rules, 1960, Mineral )Auction( Rules, 2015 and other rules framed by the Central Government or State Government;

mineral blocks and setting up of mineral based industries in co-ordination with all the concerned departments and successful bidder;

)e( to review and monitor all important major mineral projects and

specified minor mineral projects in the Gadchiroli District for speedy operationalization of those mines which would include auctioned blocks and blocks allotted to the Corporation;

)f( to formulate and review schemes for development of mining in the

Gadchiroli District; )g( to examine and recommend major mineral blocks and specified minor mineral blocks in the Gadchiroli District proposed for auction as per technical recommendation of the Directorate and to monitor periodically the operationalization of such successfully auctioned blocks in a time bound manner;

)h( to ensure adequate supply of iron ore to the Steel Plants in the

Gadchiroli District, by development of iron ore blocks through Mine Developer-cum-Operator )MDO(, after the iron ore area is reserved for the Corporation by the Central Government; )i( to recommend to the State Government any matter or proposal requiring action by it or any other authority to whom such powers are delegated by the State Government for the overall development of the Mining Sector in the Gadchiroli District; )j( to prepare and implement schemes for providing alternative accommodation and for rehabilitation of persons displaced by projects and schemes;

)k( any other powers and functions as may be prescribed.

1. (1) There shall be an Executive Committee of the Authority consisting of the following members, namely :—
   • (i) Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra Chairperson;
   • (ii) Secretary )Mining(, Industries,

Energy, Labour and Mining Department

Ex-officio Member;

1. (iii) Secretary )Industries(, Industries, Energy, Labour and Mining Department Ex-officio Member;
2. (iv) Secretary )Energy(, Industries, Energy, Labour and Mining Department Ex-officio Member;
3. (v) Secretary )Revenue(, Revenue and Forests Department Ex-officio Member;
4. (vi) Secretary )Forests(, Revenue and Forests Department Ex-officio Member;
5. (vii) Secretary, Environment and Climate Change Department Ex-officio Member;
6. (viii) Secretary, Finance Department Ex-officio Member;
7. (ix) Director General, Directorate of Geology and Mining Ex-officio Member;
8. (x) Collector, Gadchiroli DistrictEx-officio Member;
9. (xi) Managing Director, Maharashtra State Mining Corporation Limited Member-Secretary.

)2( The Executive Committee may invite any officer of

the Government or local authority to attend its meeting or meetings as a special invitee for the purpose of assisting or advising it on any matter or matters. The

officer so invited may take part in the proceedings of the committee but

shall have no right to vote.

)3( The Executive Committee shall meet at such place and at such time

as may be determined by its Chairperson, and shall observe such rules of procedure in its meetings as it may determine.

)4( The Executive Committee may, from time to time, direct that

any power conferred on it or any functions assigned to it, by or under the provisions of this Ordinance, shall be exercised or performed by the

Powers and functions of Executive Committee Subject to the supervision of the Authority, the Executive Committee shall exercise the following powers and perform the following functions, namely:- )a( to finalize the terms and conditions of the tender and approve the tenders to appoint Mine Developer-cum-Operator )MDO( for the operationalization of the mineral blocks reserved for the Corporation;

)b( any other powers

and functions as may be assigned to it by the

Authentication of proceedings All proceedings of the Authority and the Executive Committee shall be authenticated by the signature of the Chairperson of the Authority or the Executive Committee, as the case may be, or of any member thereof authorized by the Chairperson of Authority or Executive Committee in this behalf, and all other orders and instruments of the Authority or the Executive Committee shall be authenticated by the Member-Secretary of the Authority or the Executive Committee.

The Authority and the Executive Committee shall, while exercising the powers and performing the functions under this Act, comply with provisions of the Mines and Minerals Act and the rules made thereunder.

The Authority and the Executive Committee shall have power to call for any return, statement of accounts, reports, statistics or other information from the Government Offices or other related authorities, which is required by it in exercise of its powers and performance of its functions under this Act, or any other law for the time being in force and such offices or authorities shall be bound to furnish such information.

The Authority may, delegate any power exercisable by it or any function to be performed by it, by or under this Act to the Executive Committee or the

Protection of action taken in good faith No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall lie against any member of the Authority or the Executive Committee constituted under this Act for anything done or any action taken in good faith under this Act.

The expenditure of the Authority and the Executive Committee shall be borne by the Corporation and the Directorate.

)1( The State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, make rules to carry out the purposes of this Act. )2( Every rule made under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be, after it is made, before each House of the State Legislature, 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 in which it is so laid or the session immediately following, both Houses agree in making any modification in rule or both Houses agree that the rule should not be made, and notify their decision to that effect in the Official Gazette, the rule shall from the date of publication of such decision in the Official Gazette, have effect only in such modified form 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 or omitted to be done under that rule.

The Authority may, with the prior approval of the Government, from time to time, make regulations, not inconsistent with provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder, for all or any of the matters to be provided under this Act and generally for all other matters for which provision is, in the opinion of the Authority, necessary for the exercise of its powers and discharge of its functions under this Act.

1. (1) If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of this Act, 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 : Provided that, no such order shall be made after expiry of period of two year from the date of commencement of this Act.
2. (2) Every order made under sub-section
3. (1) shall be laid, as soon as may be, after it is made, before each House of the State Legislature.

1. (1) The Gadchiroli District Mining Authority Ordinance, 2025, is hereby repealed.
2. (2) Notwithstanding such repeal, anything done or any action taken (including any notification or order issued) under the corresponding provisions of the said Ordinance, shall be deemed to have been done, taken or issued, as the case may be, under the corresponding provisions of this Act.