Together, these mines are allowed to produce 3.3 mt of ore a year, about 10% of the iron ore requirement of steel mills in the state

About 10 months after the Supreme Court had approved the resumption of mining operations by 18 category-A mines, six mines have resumed operations in Karnataka. Together, these mines are allowed to produce 3.3 million tonnes (mt) of ore a year, about 10 per cent of the iron ore requirement of steel mills in the state.

In an affidavit to the SC, coal ministry says state governments may own blocks but it has the final say

The coal ministry, in an affidavit to the Supreme Court, has said that it has the sole legal right to allocate coal blocks even as the state governments own the blocks and eventually grant the mining leases. In response to the query of the apex court, which questioned the ministry’s authority in this regard, the coal ministry said that though there was no express statutory provision, a combined reading of the Coal Mines Act and a later amendment in the MMDR Act, introducing competitive bidding, gave it the final say in the matter of allocating all major minerals.

The CBI is likely to question representatives of three state government-run public sector undertakings (PSUs) next week in connection with its probe related to the Coalgate scam.

According to sources, the state government PSUs who were allocated blocks include Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation Limited, West Bengal Mineral Development Trading Corporation, Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation and Maharshtra State Mining Corporation.

Experts and mining bodies in Odisha have criticised suspension of mining in the state, saying the irregularities in the system could have been rectified while mining was still on.

They said they fear the suspension will lead to a complete ban on mining in the state on the lines of Karnataka and Goa, where the Apex Court imposed a ban in 2011 and 2012. “Closing down of mines is suicidal for the development of mineral-based industries,” said P K Jena, former directorgeneral of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and chairman of Institute of Advance Technology and Environmental Studies.

PANJIM: Labour unions in Goa have filed several cases against mining firms and allied industries for large scale suspension and layoff of workers since October 2012, salary cuts, which are against

Iron ore supply likely to be disrupted further in Karnataka if panel finds fault with these miners

Supply of iron ore to steel mills in and around Karnataka might be disrupted further if the central empowered committee (CEC), appointed by the Supreme Court to probe alleged irregularities of nine mining companies, including Sesa Goa Ltd, finds fault with the firms. The forest bench of the apex court, hearing a fresh interlocutory application (IA) filed by the petitioner in illegal mining, Samaj Parivartan Samudaya (SPS), a Dharwad, Karnataka-based non-government organisation, directed CEC on February 1 to initiate the probe and submit a report to it.

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Monday said he would seek to convene a meeting of concerned ministries in a bid to thrash out a solution to the problems faced by mining industry in Goa.

He assured this after meeting the pro-mining agitators, holding chain sit-in protests under the banner of Goa Mining Affected People's Front (AMAPF), at Azad maidan here for over a fortnight.

The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to look into an NGO’s plea seeking CBI probe against former Karnataka Minister D K Shivakumar, his brother D K Suresh and nine other mining companies in connection with illegal iron ore mining.

A three-judge bench presided over by Justice Aftab Alam told the CEC to submit a report after examining the application filed by Dharwad based-NGO Samaj Parivartana Samudaya (SPS).

The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to look into the alleged illegalities committed by some mines including Sesa Goa and Mysore Minerals in Karnataka.

It also asked the CEC to assess the quantum of loss caused to the exchequer on account of illegal mining by lease holders in categories A, B, and C. A three-judge green bench headed by Justice Aftab Alam asked the Supreme Court-appointed panel to study and file a report on the allegations made by Samaj Parivartan Samudaya, an NGO, which had sought a probe by the CBI or the Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the alleged illegalities committed by some mines under A, B, and C categories in Karnataka.

PANJIM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said that if the Supreme Court modifies or vacates its earlier order suspending mining operations in the State, Goa government will permit legal mining to start within six to eight weeks.

He, however, informed that the case filed by Claude Alvares, in the Apex Court which then passed the ad-interim stay on mining in October last year, has not yet come up for hearing.