A non-industrial mining permit shall be granted by right to any holder of an exploration permit who has provided evidence of the existence of a deposit within his perimeter.
The grant of a non-industrial or industrial mining permit shall entail cancellation of the exploration permit within the perimeter covered by the mining permit. However, mining-related exploration shall be allowed to continue therein.
As part of the exploration referred to in section 46(1) of the 2016 mining code, where a mineral substance other than that for which the mining permit was granted is discovered, the permit holder shall enjoy the preferential right to mine it. The preferential right period shall not exceed 18 (eighteen) months with effect from the date of notification of the discovery to the state.
Where necessary, a small scale or industrial mining permit holder may request from the minister in charge of mines for a change in the originally approved work programme, under the terms and conditions laid down by regulation.
A small scale or industrial mining permit holder who undertakes to build a processing plant for all or part of the mining production may benefit from special incentives.
Small scale or industrial mining permit holders shall submit a progress reports in hard and soft copies to the minister in charge of mines, under the terms and conditions laid down by regulation.