Tamil Nadu Amends Mining Rules to Allow Sale of Higher-Value Minerals at Additional Cost

The Tamil Nadu government has amended the Tamil Nadu Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1959, framed under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, according to an official gazette notification issued by the state's Natural Resources Department.

The amendment revises the list of stones categorised under building and road construction materials. The earlier broad classification of "non-granite stones" has been replaced with a more specific list that includes naturally disintegrated granite, stone pieces, large boulders, broken and crushed stones, metal jelly (aggregate), and road-laying stones.

Under the new rules, if a quarry lessee wishes to sell naturally disintegrated granite found within their permitted quarry area, they must first submit a report. A sample of the stone must then be sent for laboratory analysis at the Directorate of Geology and Mining to determine all minerals present in it.

If the analysis reveals the presence of higher-value minerals, those minerals must be sold separately in accordance with the applicable laws and rules.

However, if the analysis identifies other minerals that carry a higher prescribed rate, the lessee may — after paying the additional fee applicable to those minerals — still sell the entire material as naturally disintegrated granite.

The Tamil Nadu government enacted this amendment on July 23 and published it in the official gazette.