MYSURU: BJP leader K S Eshwarappa on Sunday demanded the cancellation of iron ore mining lease to 10 companies. He said that the party will not keep quiet till chief minister Siddaramaiah does not withdraw
BHUBANESWAR: Under the microscope for allegedly engaging in illegalities, several mine owners on Wednesday raised objections before the Justice M B Shah Commission to the manner in which boundaries of mines were determined using satellite images. Various miners, represented by prominent lawyers, strongly pleaded before the inquiry commission for a fresh physical verification of the boundaries of different mines.
To get around the shortage of domestic coal, Budget 2013-14 is expected to announce a far reaching change to make private sector produce more of the mineral. Companies with coal blocks will be allowed to sell their surplus coal under a public-private-partnership model in the markets instead of selling only to Coal India. This will need an amendment to the Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Act, 1973, which the government will propose.
Exports of iron ore are likely to fall further during the next financial year (2013-14) and touch a record low, as Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal ignored the demand for a level field in the freight rates charged on movement of iron ore for domestic use and exports. There is already an export cess of 30 per cent on iron ore as a dampener. In 2008-09, iron ore exports were at a record 110 million tonnes (mt), which have fallen to just 15 mt in the current financial year till November. The industry estimates that since government policies remain non-conducive, exports next year could be in single digit, maybe a few million tonnes.
A six member team of Shah Commission, enquiring into illegal mining activities in Goa and Odisha, arrived here on Tuesday. The commission will hear views of the mine owners during this round of visit to the state. "We will be hearing the lessees during the visit that will continue for about 3-4 days. Those lessees whose documents were examined during the last visit have been asked to appear before the panel," said U V Singh, additional principal conservator of forests, Karnataka and member of the Commission.
PANJIM: Tearing into the State government’s affidavit (reply), Goa Foundation in its rejoinder, has argued that if the original lessee cannot mine the ore from the mine, then it should be returned to the state instead of being allowed to be mined by a raising contractor. Iron ore resource is a public asset. In the act of mining, the said resource is depleted for profits which accrue to the private party to whom the asset is leased,” says the rejoinder, pointing out that the government is only the custodian of that asset, and therefore duty bound to ensure that the public asset is leased to private parties at the highest possible price.
PANJIM: The affidavit by Goa Foundation in the PIL on illegal mining that is likely to come up Wednesday referring to raising contractors said, “As the case of Badruddin Mavani has shown, eventually powerful
PANJIM: A discussion on mining in Goa today morning saw speakers demand that one company of one individual should not own more than 5 mining leases. It also mooted that if companies retrench workers then
PANJIM: The mines department was served with a legal notice challenging the legality of the Goa (Prevention of Illegal Mining Transportation and Storage of Minerals) Rules 2004 and demanding that the rules be withdrawn within two weeks. The notice served by Adv Krishnendu Mukherjee says that Section 23 C of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act 1957 does not allow for rules for trading of minerals by registered operators, but only for prevention of illegal mining, transportation and storage of minerals.
KEONJHAR: The government and mining companies were feared to face a loss of over Rs 250 crore on the first day of the nationwide bandh in the district as mineral transportation by rail and road came to a halt on Wednesday. "There was no mining activity here today and the loss is tremendous," said deputy director of mines Ballav Ch Nayak. While no trains plied in the district, supporters and leaders of various trade unions blocked National Highway-215 (Rajamunda-Panikoili) and NH-6 (Mumbai-Kolkata) at different places, affecting transportation of minerals.
The R&R Plans have been prepared and approved by CEC for 51 mining leases comprising of 28 Category A and 23 Category B mining leases The ore-starved steel mills in Karnataka have some sweet news to cheer as the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC), has recommended the resumption of mining in all Category A mining leases. The CEC has also recommended that the court may consider permitting the resumption of mining operations in Category B mining leases subject to fulfillment of certain conditions.
