RULE-96

BALOCHISTAN MINERAL RULES, 2002 BALOCHISTAN MINERAL RULES, 2002 [Gazette of Balochistan, Extraordinary, 9th March, 2002] No. S.O.(MR)4-6/2002, dated 8-1-2002.--In exercise of the powers conferred by section 2, of the Regulation of Mines and Oil-Fields and Mineral Development (Government Control) Act, 1948, (XXIV of 1948) the Government of Balochistan is pleased to make the flowing Rules:-- PART IV SPECIAL PROVISION RELATING TO SMALL SCALE MINING Division-3 Mining Lease 96. Reward for Discovery of mineral (a) Any person other than a public servant directly concerned with prospecting exploration, exploitation or development of mines and mineral discovering a commercially exploitable mineral deposit shall be entitled to a cash reward or option for taking out prospecting licence if he discovers a commercially exploitable mineral deposit other than the one for which he already hold an appropriate prospecting licence or a mining lease. (b) The discoverer may register his claim with the licensing authority giving the particulars of the area where the mineral occurs furnishing details of his discovery including samples of the mineral found, a copy of plan showing survey details on the scale of 1,50,000 or the nearest scale available showing the area of the occurrence of the mineral. The discoverer may also submit a rough sketch, marking the physical features and whereabouts of his discovery identifying various land marks in and around the discovery. (c) The registration shall confer on the discoverer a right to get a prospecting licence over the area independently or in association with other suitable persons within these Rules, provided a formal application for the purpose is received by the licensing authority within three months of the date of registration of the discovery. (d) In case the discoverer does not apply for a prospecting licence within the term specified in sub-rule (c) above, the licensing authority may release the information for the benefit of the public through a press note. (e) In case of (d) above an initial reward, to be determined by the licensing authority, will be paid to the discoverer by the party who is granted a prospecting licence over the area. If no private party comes forward to take a prospecting licence after the information of the discovery has been released through a press note the licensing authority will evaluate the discovery and pay the reward to the discoverer. (f) The scale of reward shall be as under:- Size of deposit Amount of Award (i) Big deposit of which the workable reserve is evaluated at more than Rs.50 lac. Rs. 20,000.00; (ii) Medium size deposit evaluated at Rs.20 to 50 lac. Rs. 10,000.00 (iii) Small deposit evaluated at Rs.10 to 20 lac. Rs. 5,000.00 The amount of such reward shall be recovered from the beneficiaries of the discovery. Note.- Radio-active minerals which are already covered by a reward plan of the Atomic Energy Commission, Government of Pakistan are excluded from the purview of the above Rule. Limestone, sand stone, gypsum, calcareous minerals and other minerals of common occurrence are also excluded from the purview of this Rule. Anything the value of which is less than that given in clause (iii) sub-rule (f) above, shall be considered as uneconomic. To encourage prospecting for mineral even uneconomic discovery will be rewarded by the licensing authority at the rate of Rs.250/- per discovery provided that it is proved to be a new discovery and in the opinion of the licensing authority is also of some economic importance or of academic interest. (g) The payment of rewards to the discovery of mineral shall be made within fifteen months of the registration of the discovery of a mineral deposit. Every registration will be duly acknowledged by the licensing authority. (h) Every discovery shall be registered on a prescribed form obtainable from the office of the licensing authority or the nearest post office.