Bhubaneswar, March 12: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to share the amended national mineral policy with the mineral-bearing states before tabling it before the Union cabinet.

Naveen reminded the Prime Minister of the latter’s meeting with the chief ministers of the mineral-bearing states, including Orissa, at New Delhi on December 19. Chief ministers of Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan had given a joint memorandum to Manmohan Singh on mineral issues.

They had also held discussions with Union home minister Shivraj Patil, who was at the helm of the group of ministers that examined the draft mineral policy, and with Union mines minister and other central government officials.

The chief ministers had also annexed suggested amendments in the policy draft.

“We had an impression that all our issues would be reflected in the mineral policy,” Patnaik said, adding: “We wish to know if the state issues, which the Union ministers heard in the December 19 meeting, had an impact on the policy.”