The report stated the allegation made by the complainant was filed with a wrong motive, envy and vindictive and far away from the truth

The Indian Bureau of Mines, which works under the Ministry of Mines, said it had found no evidence in the alleged illegal mining of atomic minerals across Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari and Tuticorin districts in Tamil Nadu by a private mining company.

As the mining sector of the State is in a limbo, the Government has given a second thought to imposition of forest development tax (FDT) on minerals extracted from forest areas.

Panel to decide on re-auction of 51 such mines

The State government has decided to put a cap on the quantum of ore to be mined every year, henceforth, at the 51 ‘C’ category mines which will be re-auctioned in the near future. The decision was taken on October 7 at a meeting of the Committee for the disposal of ‘C’ category mines headed by Chief Secretary S V Ranganath.

Even if there is no notification of wildlife sanctuaries and buffer zones, the Supreme Court can say that you (state government) are obliged under Article 21 (right to life) of the Constitution to protect life including the environment and that you can’t exploit within this area.

” These were stern observations of the Supreme Court, while hearing the lessees who were arguing why and how it was legal for them to be mining within one kilometre of wildlife sanctuaries, on the eighth day of hearing of the Goa mining case.

The Union ministry of mines on Thursday washed its hands of the perpetuation of illegal iron ore mining in Goa and informed the Supreme Court that permission for extraction of the mineral was subject to compliance of environment and forest clearances.

"The state mines department allows mining after satisfying that all the clearances/approvals under concerned statutes are obtained by the lessee," the mines department told a bench of Justices A K Patnaik, S S Nijjar and F M I Kaliful

Wants states to submit quarterly reports to IBM

The Ministry of Mines, in a bid to further step up joint efforts to curb illegal mining, has asked state governments to regularly share information with it on the measures taken by them. Besides, the ministry at its recent meeting with the mineral rich states, also asked them to maintain a database giving details of a slew of actions initiated by them in this regard.

Company says it will take two years to reach the approved output limit

The chromite mines of Tata Steel at Sukinda in Jajpur Road mining circle has received environmental clearance from Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) for upgradation of production limit upto 2.4 million tonne per annum (MTPA) from existing 0.95 MTPA limit.

Even as it looks as if the Apex Court will hear the Goa mining case only after the Constitution Bench hearings are over, the 27 mines are to get their leases renewed – agreements signed – by the en

The state government will be filing a status report before the Supreme Court on September 17

Even as the industry expects Supreme Court to lift the interim ban on mining exports, the state mines and geology department is yet to take several initiatives suggested by the apex court's Central Empowered Committee (CEC), mandatory to arrest illegal mining.