SRINAGAR, Sep 28: Steel Authority of India Limited, whose plant was recently inaugurated by the governor N N Vohra and other top ministers from the centre at Lassipora- Pulwama on Monday still fails to pay the rent of land occupied by it in other parts of the Valley. SAIL continues to occupy 23 Kanals of land in the
Pampore Industrial Area despite the expiry of the lease.

Union minister of steel and fertilisers Ram Vilas Paswan and chief minister Shibu Soren deliberate on the lease issue in Ranchi on Wednesday. Picture by Prashant Mitra

The see-sawing battle over the Chiria iron ore mines between state-run giant Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and the Jharkhand government, which has witnessed many tumultuous phases, is all set to get resolved with state chief minister Shibu Soren saying the PSU will be accorded due priority in the allocation of the said mines.

SAIL first claimant to Chiria mines: Jharkhand
Navtan Kumar RANCHI

THE Jharkhand government and Union steel ministry seem to be inching closer towards resolving the vexed Chiria iron ore mines issue.

In a major attempt to salvage the Chiria iron ore mines for state-run steel giant SAIL, Steel Minister Ram Vilas Paswan will meet Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren soon to hammer out a solution to the vexed issue. Failing that, he is planning to write to the Prime Minister seeking nationalisation of the mines through an ordinance.

Faced with local resistance in Potka block for acquiring land for its proposed steel and power project, Bhushan Steel has decided to make public its offer which it believes is even more lucrative than what has been specified in the state

Srinagar, September 22
Union minister for chemicals and fertilizers Ram Vilas Paswan and Governor N.N. Vohra laid the foundation stone of a steel-processing unit at Lassipora in Pulwama district today.

The steel plant will have an annual capacity to produce 1.60 lakh tonnes of steel and will be completed by the end of next year. Production at the unit will start in 2010.

The mining industry is going through a turbulent phase.

The ministry of mines and the ministry of steel are at loggerheads over a proposal to hike export duty on iron ore from 15 per cent to 20 per cent. The 15-per cent duty itself was imposed just this June as part of the fiscal package to restrict the export of iron ore and ease domestic prices.

Coal block boon for Nepal steel firm

PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, Sept. 19: Kohinoor Steel

Ranchi, Sept.