PANJIM: The contentious cessation of mining operations in Goa will figure at the National Development Council (NDC) meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on December 27, wherein Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar would bat for an early decision on environment clearances (ECs) to mining leases, currently suspended by the Ministry of Environment and Forest.

Addressing a press conference on Monday, Parrikar said that since the ECs issue is with Union government, I would take up with the matter with Dr Singh, and request him thrash out an urgent solution, rather than wait for the Supreme Court’s verdict.

Asks Coal Ministry to begin allocating mines through bidding route without any time loss

Early development of 54 identified mines is necessary to boost the country's coal production, a Parliamentary panel said today and asked the Coal Ministry to begin allocating mines through the bidding route without any time loss. "The Committee is constrained to observe that no progress has been made for the development of identified coal blocks for allocation through bidding system," the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Coal and Steel has said in its latest report.

The Ministerial committee of the state government, which has been mandated to chalk out plans for providing raw material to mineral based industries in Odisha, will be meeting on Tuesday to formulate the supply policy mechanism.

The panel was supposed to meet on December 14, but it was rescheduled to December 18. The state government formed the panel in October this year with an aim to find out measures for making iron ore, manganese, bauxite and chrome ore available to the mineral based industries, which do not have captive mines. It has been already decided that the ores will be made available in a fair and equitable manner through the state-run PSU Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) and other mining lessees.

SHILLONG: The Civil Society Women’s Organisation (CSWO) has slammed the new Industrial Policy of State Government which paves way for leasing out land to mining companies and the likes saying that it was in gross violation of the Land Transfer Act.

“The Government is clearly trying to sell off our lands and allowing industrialists to destroy our lands and exploit us and also make money from all the subsidies and thereby destroying the very existence of the Land Transfer Act,” CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing said in a statement on Sunday.

PANJIM: Goa State Pollution Control Board has rejected the renewal of ‘Consent to Operate’ applications of 107 mining leases, and returned them to the respective firms stating that the Board cannot proceed in view of Supreme Court ban on mining operations in Goa.

The mining lease operators had applied for renewal of Air and Water consent, which expired on July 31, 2012. Speaking to HERALD GSPCB Chairman Jose Manuel Noronha said that Board had rejected renewal of consent and accordingly all applications were sent back to the firms. “Since Supreme Court has currently halted all mining operations in the State and the matter is pending, at least till January, next year, the Board cannot go ahead with the renewal,” he said.

As many as 54 mining leases in Odisha are operating under deemed extension following the expiry of their leases. The expiry period of the leases ranges from five to 25 years.

According to information given by minister for steel & mines Rajani Kant Singh in the state assembly, mine owners like Tata Steel, Jindal Steel & Power Ltd (JSPL), Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), Essel Mining & Industries Ltd (EMIL), Mid East Integrated Steel Ltd, Ferro Alloys Corporation (FACOR), Rungta Sons and KJS Ahluwalia are operating their leases under deemed extension.

Rejecting charges of wrongdoing in coal block allocations, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said the government has already initiated the process of cancelling mines to companies which failed to develop them and action would be taken against 'wrongdoers' if any.

"We have initiated action to cancel the allocations of allottees who did not take adequate follow-up action to commence production," Singh said in a statement in both Houses of Parliament amid uproar created by the BJP.

The fresh leases were granted to OMC for captive use in the light of a very large integrated steel plant proposed to be set up in Kadapa district by Janardhan Reddy’s Bramhani Steels. However, the lease orders issued by the government mentioned no such condition, thus allowing the company third-party sales.

Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys Ltd (IMFA) is planning to spend Rs 6,600 crore over the next five years to set up a 1,320-Mw power plant in Orissa.
With this, IMFA, which currently produces power for its own captive use as a part of its backward integration strategy, will become a commercial power generator. The company is India’s largest producer of ferro alloys, used in manufacturing of stainless steel.