Title: Regarding revival of the Bharat Gold Mines Limited. (BGML).
(KOLAR): Sir, the Bharat Gold Mines Limited is the prestigious mining industry in the country. It is in my constituency, Kolar, in Karnataka.
The hon. Minister for Mines has earlier assured that the Centre had agreed to hand over the Kolar Gold Fields to the employees and employees association on “Zero Liability” and the employees are ready for the same. The ready available ore deposits are about 30 million tonnes and they can run BGML at least for 20 more years. Seventy per cent of the labour working in Mines belong to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. 2.5 lakh people are dependent on it.
The hon. Chief Minister of Karnataka in his letter dated 23rd March, 2000 to the hon. Prime Minister indicated a major package of relief and concessions for reviving and rehabilitation of BGML. The package provided for waiver of royalty on the ore mined for a period of ten years and to provide an amount of Rs.2 crore per annum to subsidise the electricity charges of M/s. BGML for the next five years.
The Karnataka Gold Mines Company (an Australian collaboration) is ready to take over the BGML on a joint venture proposition with a rider that they will consider taking over the unit with a workforce of 2,500.
It has been brought to my notice that sick public sector undertakings like NTC, HFC and FCI have been directed by the Supreme Court of India, in their interim orders of 7th May, 1999 and 10th April, 2000 to pay revised scales to their employees and also reportedly directed the Government of India to sanction necessary funds to these sick PSUs. But this has not been implemented in the case of sick PSUs like BGML, who have not been given revised pay scales since 1993. … (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: Shri Muniyappa, you are not allowing other Members to speak in the `Zero Hour’. What is this?
… (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: This will not go on record.
(Interruptions) *