Regulation

Mines and Minerals Regulations, 2056

All laws Regulations

Type
Regulation
Year
२०५६ BS
Status
In force
Category
खण्ड ८: उद्योग, वाणिज्य तथा आपूर्ति · Volume 8: Industry, Corporate, and Import
Made under
Mines and Minerals Act, 2040
Official text
Official page Official text (PDF)
English translation
Official English translation archived copy: the original page is no longer online
Includes amendments up to: 2060 BS. Translations may not include later amendments. The Nepali text is the authoritative law.

Analysis drawn from official reports, court rulings and published research, each cited. Figures are being double-checked against the source documents; corrections are welcome.

What does it do?

  • To get a mineral licence, an applicant needs two years' experience in the work (one year for general minerals) or the means to hire an expert, and proof of funds per square kilometre of the area sought. For very important minerals this is Rs 400,000 for prospecting and Rs 3 million for mining; for important and precious minerals Rs 200,000 and Rs 2 million; for general minerals Rs 100,000 and Rs 1 million. An approved prospecting licence must be collected within 30 days or it lapses.खनिज कार्यको अनुमतिपत्र लिन सम्बन्धित कामको दुई वर्ष (सामान्य खनिजका लागि एक वर्ष) को अनुभव वा विशेषज्ञ राख्न सक्ने हैसियत र माग गरेको क्षेत्रको प्रतिवर्ग किलोमिटर आर्थिक हैसियत चाहिन्छ। अति महत्त्वपूर्ण खनिजका लागि खोजतलासमा चार लाख र उत्खननमा तीस लाख रुपैयाँ, महत्त्वपूर्ण तथा बहुमूल्य खनिजका लागि दुई लाख र बीस लाख तथा सामान्य खनिजका लागि एक लाख र दश लाख रुपैयाँ। खोजतलासको अनुमतिपत्र दिने निर्णयको जानकारी पाएको तीस दिनभित्र बुझिनलिए अनुमतिपत्र स्वतः रद्द हुन्छ। Nepal Law Commission Rules 5(1)-(5), 6 and 7(1)-(3), PDF pp. 3-5
  • Prospecting must be finished within four years for very important, important and precious minerals, or two years for general minerals; extensions are applied for three months before expiry and may add up to two years, one year at a time. Mining licences run 10, 15, 20 or 30 years depending on the mine's scale, with extensions of one, two, five or ten years. Mining must start within two years of getting the licence, or the Department may cancel it.अति महत्त्वपूर्ण वा महत्त्वपूर्ण तथा बहुमूल्य खनिजको खोजतलास चार वर्षभित्र र सामान्य खनिजको दुई वर्षभित्र सम्पन्न गर्नुपर्छ; अवधि थपका लागि अवधि सकिनुभन्दा तीन महिनाअगावै निवेदन दिनुपर्छ र एक पटकमा एक वर्ष नबढाई बढीमा दुई वर्षसम्म थप हुन सक्छ। उत्खनन कार्यको अवधि खानीको स्तरअनुसार दश, पन्ध्र, बीस वा तीस वर्ष हुन्छ र क्रमशः एक, दुई, पाँच वा दश वर्षसम्म थप हुन सक्छ। अनुमतिपत्र पाएको दुई वर्षभित्र उत्खनन सुरु नगरे विभागले अनुमतिपत्र रद्द गर्न सक्छ। Nepal Law Commission Rules 9(1)-(3), 17(1)-(3) and 18(1)-(2), PDF pp. 6, 10-12
  • Mining licence holders must not mine within 50 metres of monuments, temples, mosques, churches, cremation sites, public roads, dams, pipelines, houses or factories, and must stay 25 metres from a neighbouring licence's boundary. They must keep equipment to measure the quantity mined at storage sites and report accidents, deaths or damage to the District Administration Office and the Department at once. When mining ends, they must close the site within six months, remove equipment, fill or fence pits and restore the land.उत्खनन अनुमतिपत्र पाउनेले प्राचीन स्मारक, मन्दिर, मस्जिद, गिर्जाघर, मसानघाट, सार्वजनिक बाटो, बाँध, पाइपलाइन, घर, कारखाना आदिबाट कम्तीमा पचास मिटरभित्र उत्खनन गर्नु हुँदैन र छिमेकी अनुमतिपत्रको सीमानाबाट पच्चीस मिटर छोड्नुपर्छ। खनिज भण्डारण स्थलमा उत्खनन परिमाण नाप्ने यन्त्र राख्नुपर्छ र दुर्घटना, मृत्यु वा धनसम्पत्तिको हानि भएमा जिल्ला प्रशासन कार्यालय र विभागलाई तुरुन्त सूचना दिनुपर्छ। काम सकिएमा छ महिनाभित्र खानी बन्द गरी सामान हटाउनुपर्छ, खाल्डा पुर्नुपर्छ वा बार लगाउनुपर्छ र पुनर्स्थापना गर्नुपर्छ। Nepal Law Commission Rule 19(ग), (ङ), (च), (ज) and (ड), PDF pp. 12-14
  • Each time minerals leave the mine, the licence holder owes royalty on the quantity at the Schedule 10 rates. Royalty must be paid into the revenue account within seven days after each month ends, and the receipt and monthly production report sent to the Department within 15 days. Late payment adds 10% if paid within three months, 20% within six months and 30% within a year. A local development fee of 10% of the royalty is also due, paid to the District Development Committee or the body it names.खानीद्वारबाट खनिज पदार्थ निकाल्दा प्रत्येक पटक निकालिएको परिमाणका आधारमा अनुसूची-१० बमोजिम रोयल्टी बुझाउनुपर्छ। रोयल्टी प्रत्येक महिना सकिएको सात दिनभित्र राजस्व खातामा जम्मा गरी पन्ध्र दिनभित्र मासिक उत्पादन विवरणसहित भौचर विभागमा पेस गर्नुपर्छ। ढिलो भए तीन महिनासम्म दश प्रतिशत, छ महिनासम्म बीस प्रतिशत र एक वर्षसम्म तीस प्रतिशत थप रकम लाग्छ। रोयल्टीको दश प्रतिशत स्थानीय विकास शुल्क जिल्ला विकास समिति वा त्यसले तोकेको निकायमा बुझाउनुपर्छ। Nepal Law Commission Rules 21(1)-(3) and 22, PDF p. 15
  • For ordinary construction materials such as soil, stone and sand, applicants apply to the District Development Committee. A district mine development committee led by the Local Development Officer examines the application, and the Department of Mines and Geology must decide on its consent within six months. The District Development Committee then issues the licence, sends 20% of the income to the Department's revenue account, and monitors the work; it may halt work or cancel the licence on the recommendation of the committee and the Department.साधारण माटो, ढुङ्गा, बालुवाजस्ता साधारण निर्माणमुखी खनिज पदार्थका लागि जिल्ला विकास समितिमा निवेदन दिनुपर्छ। स्थानीय विकास अधिकारीको संयोजकत्वमा रहेको खानी विकास समितिले जाँचबुझ गरी सिफारिस गर्छ र खानी तथा भूगर्भ विभागले छ महिनाभित्र सहमतिबारे निर्णय गर्नुपर्छ। त्यसपछि जिल्ला विकास समितिले अनुमतिपत्र दिन्छ, प्राप्त आम्दानीको बीस प्रतिशत विभागको राजस्व खातामा जम्मा गर्छ र अनुगमन गर्छ; समिति र विभागको सिफारिसमा खनिज कार्य रोक्का वा अनुमतिपत्र खारेज गर्न सक्छ। Nepal Law Commission Rules 34(1)-(2), 35(1), 36(1)-(3), 37(1)-(2) and 38(1)-(2), PDF pp. 25-29

Gaps, loopholes and improvement ideas

  • Not enforced Most operating mines lack the measuring equipment this regulation requires. Rule 19(ङ) requires licence holders to keep equipment that measures the quantity mined at storage and collection sites. The Auditor General found that 77 companies and individuals operating mines had not installed it, even after the Department issued repeated notices.सञ्चालनमा रहेका धेरै खानीमा यस नियमावलीले तोकेको नाप्ने यन्त्र छैन। नियम १९(ङ) ले खनिज भण्डारण तथा जम्मा गर्ने स्थलमा उत्खनन परिमाण नाप्ने यन्त्र राख्नुपर्ने व्यवस्था गरेको छ। खानी सञ्चालन गरेका ७७ कम्पनी तथा व्यक्तिले विभागले पटकपटक सूचना दिँदा पनि यन्त्र नराखेको महालेखापरीक्षकले पाएको छ। Office of the Auditor General, Nepal · Nepal Law Commission OAG 63rd Annual Report, MoICS chapter, Department of Mines and Geology, para 22, printed p. 187 (PDF p. 219); Rule 19(ङ), PDF p. 13
  • Outdated The regulation has not been updated for the federal Constitution. The Constitution puts mines and minerals on the concurrent list of all three levels of government, but the Auditor General found that the Mines and Minerals Act, 2042 and this 2056 Regulation had not been revised to suit the times even after the National Mineral Policy, 2074. The text still gives roles to District Development Committees and Local Development Officers.नियमावली सङ्घीय संविधानअनुरूप अद्यावधिक भएको छैन। संविधानले खानी तथा खनिजलाई तीनै तहको साझा अधिकारको सूचीमा राखेको छ, तर राष्ट्रिय खनिज नीति, २०७४ जारी भए पनि खानी तथा खनिज पदार्थ ऐन, २०४२ र नियमावली, २०५६ समयसापेक्ष परिमार्जन हुन नसकेको महालेखापरीक्षकले औँल्याएको छ। नियमावलीमा अझै जिल्ला विकास समिति र स्थानीय विकास अधिकारीको भूमिका लेखिएको छ। Office of the Auditor General, Nepal · Nepal Law Commission OAG 62nd Annual Report, MoICS chapter, Department of Mines and Geology, para 38, printed p. 199 (PDF p. 229); Rules 22 and 34-38, PDF pp. 15, 25-29

Ideas to fix it

  • Take action under the law against companies and individuals that have not installed the equipment to measure the quantity mined.उत्खनन परिमाण नाप्ने यन्त्र नराख्ने कम्पनी तथा व्यक्तिलाई कानूनबमोजिम कारबाही गर्ने। Proposed by: Office of the Auditor General Office of the Auditor General, Nepal
  • Draft and revise the mining laws in line with the Constitution and the National Mineral Policy.संविधान तथा खनिज नीतिअनुरूप कानून तर्जुमा तथा परिमार्जन गर्ने। Proposed by: Office of the Auditor General Office of the Auditor General, Nepal

Where does it conflict with other laws?

No conflict with another law is documented in the sources we have reviewed so far.

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