For export of Beach Minerals, Mining Law will not applicable and Tuticorin Port Trust confirmed there is no export of Thorium or Monazite

Mining Law

It is better to put the reply and note submitted by the Minister of Mines, in the Parliament Lok Shaba for starred question No. 192.

He clearly pointed out that “the MMDR Act applicable on all minerals except mineral oils “Natural Gas and Petroleum”. It fix up maximum area permissible and period of lease. State Govt.’s are competent to mineral concession. But cannot grant concession to any person unless such person satisfy such condition as may per prescribed.”  Before this Act, public and private entrepreneur are dealt with at par.

The aim of the Act is to conserve and develop Mineral. The main aim is maximum utilization of the mineral wealth for the development of nation.

Govt., company IREL started production 65 years back did not establish value added product. Whereas VV Mineral get ilmenite mining lease on 2002, started value added Titanium product within 10 years.

Allegation of export of Thorium

1.     Thorium is not a mineral.  But an element received from cracking monazite.

2.     The technology for cracking monazite not available with India

3.     Monazite is freely available all over India. Hence IREL itself stop production in 2004.

4.     The cost of monazite is less than other products. (Rs.3000 per M.Ton less than Garnet and Ilmenite price)

5.     There are facilities to find out monazite or other radioactive material enter the Port. Till now no material enter port.

6.     Since it is negative list of export, it cannot be exported either direct or indirect way.

The following letters from Tuticorin Port will establish that no export of Thorium or Monazite.

7. All export products, random samples will be taken by the customs and analysed their lab. If radioactive material is found, automatically the customs authority will black list the exporter and he cannot export in future. Hence no one will burn their finger for a meagre amount.

8.                 If monazite is present in any of these minerals above trace element levels then these minerals cannot be sold, transported or consumed in most of the world markets. Any heavy mineral found to contain even traces of monazite is automatically rejected by the customers.

9.                 Monazite occurs across the world and has been produced as a by-product of mineral sands mining in many countries such as Brazil,           Argentina, Australia, Malaysia, S. Africa, Madagascar, Mozambique, USA, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, China, Sierra Leone, Thailand, Vietnam, Russia, Estonia and India over the past almost 100 years. Since  it is easily available product all over the world, there is no need to export the same from India.

10.                 The Thorium  and Uranium available in the monazite cannot be used. At present researches are going on all over the world to find out the way to use it either in the Nuclear reactors or other ways.