DH News Service BANGALORE, Dec 16 In tune with the new mining policy announced in 2000, the State government today decided to dereserve 11,620 sq km of reserved area to grant mining leases to private entrepreneurs. However, the ban on mining activity in 14,844 sq km of area would continue. The total mineral reserve in the State is about 40,000 sq km. According to Mr Basappa Reddy, Director, Department of Mines & Geology, as per Rule 58 of the Mineral Concession Rule, 1960, only the State has the permission to exploit mineral wealth in 11,620 sq km which was part of the reserved area on which only the state mining companies had hold. In special cases, the rules were relaxed with the consent of the Centre to allow private companies to carry out mining. As suggested by the Centre to maintain transparency, the State has decided to dereserve 11,620 sq km. However, he said: Reserved area does not mean reserve forest. We are opening the areas which were earlier meant only for the government. The dereserved area included 2,000 to 3,000 sq kms of forest which are in dry districts like Kolar and Bellary, he added. He also said that 14,844 sq kms of reserved area in 12 places fall under Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Hassan, Chickmagalur, Shimoga and Bangalore districts. These areas would not be disturbed, he emphatically said. Briefing reporters on today’s State Cabinet meeting decisions, Information Minister Kagodu Thimmappa said the dereserved area would not include forest areas. When contacted by Deccan Herald, Mines & Geology Minister V Muniyappa said the Western Ghats and thick forests would not come under the dereserved category. Exploration of all types of minerals ‘ major and minor’ would be conducted by the department. We would also seek the help of Isro to conduct satellite survey to trace mineral deposits. We are not going to touch reserve forest, thick forest, Western Ghats and Kudremukh region. We can allow private companies to take up mining activities only after conducting survey,he said. NURSING COLLEGES: Earlier, Mr Thimmappa said the Cabinet decided to issue essentiality certificate for 16 managements to open new nursing colleges and one management to conduct master course in physiotherapy. The minister said the total intake by 16 new nursing colleges would be around 2,500 seats. The proposal of a ayurveda college in Gulbarga and a homeopathy college in Manvi seeking increase in intake from 50 to 75 and 30 to 40 respectively was also approved, he said. Referring to another decision of the Cabinet, Mr Thimmappa said it was decided to rename the Karnataka State Bureau of Public Enterprises as Department of Disinvestment and Public Sector Enterprises Reforms. The Bureau of Public Enterprises was under the purview of the Chief Minister. Henceforth, the Department of Disinvestment would come under Law Minister D B Chandre Gowda. He said the Karnataka Rail Infrastructure Development Enterprise (K-Ride) would be brought under the Infrastructure Department, which is now managed by Minister T John. The authority for import, export and storage of hazardous micro-organisms, and genetically engineered organisms has been transferred from the Science & Technology Department to the Forest, Environment and Ecology Department. The Cabinet decided to extend retirement benefits including pension to retired employees of all command area development authorities (CADAs). There were 835 retired workers of various categories and Rs one crore would be the additional burden on the government. Mr Thimmappa said the government had intended to take Rs 5.81 crore private share to its fold in the Mysore Tobacco Board. However, the President of India had not given his assent for this and the legislature would be informed of the same. The Cabinet decided to provide guarantee for the Rs 180-crore loan being raised by Karnataka Road Development Corporation from Hudco and exempt the Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam from paying stamps and registration fee of Rs 40.63 crore towards Rs 312 crore loan raised from financial institutions. The Cabinet also decided to increase allocation from Rs 7.40 crore to Rs 14.90 crore, for improving drinking water facility in Shiggaon and Savanur. ÿ