The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) on Thursday reiterated its stand that no new mining leases should be granted in Bellary, Tumkur and Chitradurga districts unless rehabilitation plans for the existing leases were executed.

The committee also maintained that the combined iron ore production from the mines should not exceed 30 million metric tonnes. It is imperative that any new mining lease should be considered only after the reclamation and rehabilitation plans (R&R) of the existing mining leases are successfully implemented and based on the existing infrastructure facilities and carrying capacity of the area,

Steel mills in the southern state currently operating at 60-70% of capacities

Samaja Parivarthana Samudaya (SPS), the NGO which brought the large-scale illegal mining in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka out into the open, has approached the Supreme Court seeking directions for scrapping of all mining leases in Bellary, Chitradurga and Tumkur districts.

SPS also sought a CBI probe into the criminal conspiracy allegedly hatched by officials and people’s representatives for the massive loot of iron ore in the region.

Committee submits to apex court reclamation and rehabilitation plans

The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) on Wednesday recommended a 10-year prohibition in mining operations in Bellary, Chitradurga and Tumkur districts, areas under the illegal extraction of natural resources in Karnataka.

Public sector miner NMDC Limited has got an unforeseen domestic opportunity, especially in Karnataka, in the light of the final report on illegal iron ore mining submitted by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to the Supreme Court early this month.

The CEC has classified the over 150 mines in Karnataka, where iron ore production had been stopped on the directives of the apex court, into three categories. Of these, close to 50 mines categorised under class-C for alleged gross violations have been recommended for cancellation.

With India’s apex court set to announce its final verdict anytime on the fate of illegal iron ore mines in Karnataka, the country’s largest iron ore producer NMDC is eying a major opportunity in th

New Delhi The ban on mining seems to have made Karnataka the dumping ground for poor quality iron ore.

If court puts a cap on iron ore mining in Karnataka, it will be a severe blow to steel industry's expansion plans

The Central Empowered Committee’s (CEC) final report on illegal mining in Karnataka submitted to the Supreme Court recently has sent shockwaves through the iron ore mining and steel industry in the state. Some of the recommendations of the CEC, if accepted by the Supreme Court, will curb illegal mining and that is a laudable goal. However, in doing so, it may also deliver a hammer blow to the state’s expanding steel industry.

Despite a halt on iron ore mining in Karnataka since July last year, the state government has earned a royalty revenue of Rs270 crore, about 62 per cent of the total royalty earnings in the last financial year. With two more months in the current financial year, royalty revenues are likely to go up further.

Mining activity came to a halt in July, when the Supreme Court ordered the closure of mining and transportation of iron ore in Bellary district. Subsequently, on August 26 the apex court also ordered closure of mining in Chitradurga and Tumkur districts.

The Karnataka Government has made budget provision of Rs 110 crore for watershed and soil enrichment (‘BhooChetana') project, for the year 2012-13, which is being implemented in collaboration with