HASSAN: Home Minister M.P. Prakash has said that four States abundant in mineral resources — Karnataka, Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Jharkand — have presented a memorandum through Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, stressing the need to revise the mining policy. The Prime Minister would preside over a meeting of the Home Ministers of these States in this regard in New Delhi on Saturday, he said.

Speaking to The Hindu over telephone while returning from Chikmagalur to Bangalore on Friday night, Mr. Prakash said that under the present mining policy, the profits were landing in the hands of only a few people, while the States were not getting much revenue. At the recent National Development Council (NDC) meeting, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy had also appealed to the Prime Minister that the mining policy be reviewed and the royalty amount increased so the States could get additional revenue. The present royalty amount had been fixed decades ago, he said.

Police officers' service

Mr. Prakash said he would also attend a meeting of Home Ministers and Chief Ministers in New Delhi on Saturday, presided over by Union Home Minister Shivaraj Patil, that would discuss extension of the term of service of police officers.

He said the Supreme Court had directed the States to fix the minimum tenure of Director Generals of Police at two years. It had also suggested the formation of a Police Board in each State through which transfer of police officers should be made. He said the State Government had already conveyed its objections on this proposal to the Union Government, saying that it would create obstacles to proper administration, and added that the judiciary should not interfere in the executive powers of the State.

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