New Delhi, May 30 (IANS): The Centre has urged states to take up reforms for enhancing transparency and efficiency in the minor minerals sector which includes granite and marble, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Mines on Thursday.

Mines Secretary, V. L. Kantha Rao, in a meeting with state government officials in Bengaluru, emphasised the various initiatives and reforms undertaken by the Government of India in the mining sector. He urged the State Governments to also take up such reforms in the minor mineral sector.

Further, he pointed out that the Central government has made comprehensive data and information on exploration available through the NGDR (National Geo-Data Repository) Portal, facilitating access to data for all stakeholders. This initiative, driven by data collected from Central agencies, aims to enhance transparency and efficiency in the mining sector.

Officials from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and PSUs were present at the workshop.

Additional Chief Secretary & Development Commissioner, Government of Karnataka, Dr Shalini Rajneesh, emphasised the importance of collaboration between the government and industry to find solutions to administrative, technological, and other issues in the granite and marble mining sector.

She underscored that any economic activity, including mining, must be sustainable. Dr Shalini welcomed startup ideas and innovative contributions to address the sector's challenges constructively and also stressed the use of IT platforms to manage critical areas of the mining sector, ensuring transparency and reducing grievances.

After the inaugural session, various stakeholders made presentations on the issues of granite and marble mining. Thereafter, Governments of Karnataka, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana gave presentations responding to the issues flagged by the industry association and also highlighted the Best Practices on the Regulation of Granite and Marble Minerals.

A presentation was also made by Joint Director, National Council for Cement and Building Material DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce Dr B. Panduranga Rao, regarding the role of granite and marble industry in India’s cement and construction sector. Chief controller of mines, IBM, Piyush Narayan Sharma, made presentation on sustainable development framework in the mining sector and star rating of mines.