<p>A huge 46,885 applications including about 31,000 for Mining Lease (ML) and about 15,500 for Prospecting license (PL) are pending for the last three-four years at 11-mineral bearing states.<br /><br />"The situation of backlog is particularly worrisome in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa," a senior Mines Ministry official said.<br />A majority of 46,885 including 452 Reconnaissance Permits (RP) are pending in these states, the official said.<br /><br />Besides, 1,716 cases for renewal applications are also pending with them, he added.<br />This is despite provisions for disposal of RP within 6 months; PL within 9 months and ML within 12 months.<br /><br />ML is granted for undertaking operations for extracting minerals while PL is granted for undertaking operations for purpose of exploring. RP, on the other hand is granted for preliminary prospecting of a mineral through regional, aerial and geophysical surveys.<br />Clearances to leases have slowed down due to a various reasons including spurt in cases of illegal mining, sources said, adding the governments in some states are reluctant in approving new cases.<br /><br />About 24,405 cases of illegal mining have been recorded between January-March this year -- which is 30 per cent of the total cases reported during 2010.<br /><br />The magnitude of the problem can be gauged from the fact that as many as 82,330 such cases were detected in 2010, almost double the 41,578 cases unearthed in</p>
<p>A huge 46,885 applications including about 31,000 for Mining Lease (ML) and about 15,500 for Prospecting license (PL) are pending for the last three-four years at 11-mineral bearing states.<br /><br />"The situation of backlog is particularly worrisome in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa," a senior Mines Ministry official said.<br />A majority of 46,885 including 452 Reconnaissance Permits (RP) are pending in these states, the official said.<br /><br />Besides, 1,716 cases for renewal applications are also pending with them, he added.<br />This is despite provisions for disposal of RP within 6 months; PL within 9 months and ML within 12 months.<br /><br />ML is granted for undertaking operations for extracting minerals while PL is granted for undertaking operations for purpose of exploring. RP, on the other hand is granted for preliminary prospecting of a mineral through regional, aerial and geophysical surveys.<br />Clearances to leases have slowed down due to a various reasons including spurt in cases of illegal mining, sources said, adding the governments in some states are reluctant in approving new cases.<br /><br />About 24,405 cases of illegal mining have been recorded between January-March this year -- which is 30 per cent of the total cases reported during 2010.<br /><br />The magnitude of the problem can be gauged from the fact that as many as 82,330 such cases were detected in 2010, almost double the 41,578 cases unearthed in</p>