(1) According to Rule 7, the person who has received the prospecting permit shall complete the prospecting work within a period of four years in the case of minerals belonging to the category of extremely important minerals or important and valuable minerals, and two years in the case of minerals belonging to the category of ordinary minerals.
(2) If the search operation cannot be completed within the period as per sub-rule (1) and the period needs to be extended, the person who has obtained the permit for the search operation shall submit an application to the department for extension of the period three months before the expiry of the period, along with the progress statement as per Schedule-6.< br> (3) If the application is received according to sub-rule (2), the department shall make necessary inquiries and extend the period as per the request, if deemed necessary, within one month of the application, based on the nature of the mineral substance, geological condition, prospecting technique and the progress of the work, by taking the additional fee as per schedule-4. The search period can be extended for a maximum of two years without increasing one year at a time.