The Ministry of Mines has issued a notification specifying new non-refundable fees that must accompany the submission of a Final Mine Closure Plan document for approval. This order, issued on October 30, 2025, supersedes previous notifications and is enacted in pursuance of Section 18 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, read with Rule 24(1) of the Mineral Conservation and Development Rules 2017.
New Fee Structure
The fees are categorized based on the area of the mining lease and apply to all minerals:
| S. No. | Mineral | Area of mining lease | Non-refundable fees |
| 1 | All Minerals | Upto 10 hectares | Five thousand rupees |
| 2 | All Minerals | All mining leases having area more than 10 hectares | Twenty five thousand rupees per Square Kilometres or part thereof |
Concessional Fee for Specified Minerals
The notification also includes a temporary proviso for a reduced fee for smaller leases involving specific minerals:
- For a Final Mine Closure Plan covering Barytes, Felspar, Mica, and Quartz with an area up to 10 hectares, the non-refundable fee shall be one thousand rupees only.
- This concessional fee is applicable only for submissions made on or before December 31, 2025.
These specified fees are now mandatory and must be submitted along with the Final Mine Closure Plan document.