Parliament Watch: India finds 7.23 MT rare earth reserves; NH build pace slows, key infra updates shared in Parliament

Rare earth reserves seen at 7.23 million tonnes
The rare earth element resources estimated by the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), a unit of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), is around 7.23 million tonnes in-situ Rare Earth Elements oxide (REO) contained in 13.15 million tonnes monazite, a mineral of Thorium and Rare Earths occurring in the coastal beach, red sand and inland alluvium in parts of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Gujarat and Maharashtra, minister Jitendra Singh informed the lower house. Around 1.29 million tonnes in-situ REO resource in hard rocks in parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Additionally, Geological Survey of India (GSI) has augmented 482.6 Mt resources of REE ore at various cut-off grades in 34 exploration projects.

Coal India addresses 171 consumer grievances
Coal India Ltd has received 186 consumer grievances, other than that of the Comptroller and Auditor General, related to coal quality issues since July 2023, minister G Kishan Reddy said. Out of them, 171 grievances have been resolved, he informed the Lok Sabha. Resolution of these grievances is a continuous process and is as per established procedure, he said.

Dehradun-Delhi highway likely to be completed by Oct
The Dehradun-Delhi access controlled highway with a total capital cost of `11,868.6 crore is targeted for completion by October 2025, road transport and highway minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday in response to a question in Rajya Sabha.

Govt, WEF partner on India skills accelerator initiative
The ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship (MSDE), in collaboration with the World Economic Forum (WEF) is working on India Skills Accelerator initiative to close skilling gaps through inclusive upskilling and reskilling, mobilizing investment in lifelong learning, and fostering government industry collaboration, Jayant Chaudhary, minister of state (independent charge), MSDE said in response to a question in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.NH construction falls to 29 km/day in 2024-25
The government has constructed 10,660 km of length of national highways (NHs) during 2024-25 or 29 km per day, road transport and highway minister Nitin Gadkari said in response to a question in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. This is the second lowest pace of construction in the last five years, lowest being 28 km per day in 2022-23.