Reacting to the Centre’s no to its administrative orders putting restrictions on mining lessees in the state, the Odisha government said that it is not bound to heed to the Central missive on the issue.

“They cannot compel us to withdraw the orders. We have not violated any act. These decisions were taken for benefit of stand-alone mineral based industries. We have followed all the rules and paraphernalia mentioned in the MMDR Act,” said Rajnikant Singh, state minister for steel and mines.

The Odisha government has allowed miners working under special conditions after expiry of lease validity to sell iron ore raised before October 2012 in the open market, which traders say would boost supply by around 10 million tonnes (mt).

"The lifting of the restriction would enable miners to sell iron ore and fines stacked since October, which would be somewhere between nine and 10 mt. It’s a welcome step and will boost ore availability for steel makers,” said Prabodh Mohanty, a spokesperson for the East Zone Miners' Association.

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.

In an elaborate cover-up, the Ministry of Mines is working behind the scene to save politicians and industrialists involved in illegal mining in Odisha

The authority, while hearing over the plea filed by merchant miners on Wednesday, said, it will soon issue the written stay order

The Revision Authority, set up under the Union mines ministry, has stayed the enforcement of a resolution of the state government that had barred merchant miners to produce minerals during their lease renewal period. The authority, while hearing over the plea filed by merchant miners on Wednesday, said, it will soon issue the written stay order.

Slamming Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for opposing disinvestment of Nalco, Union Mines Minister Dinsha Patel today said there was a move to offload 30 per cent stake in the aluminium giant when Patnaik was at the Centre.

The government, now is discussing selling off only 12.5 per cent stake. "When Naveen Patnaik was Union Mines minister, there was a move by the then NDA government for 30 per cent disinvestment in Nalco. However, now discussions are on for divesting only 12.5 per cent in the Navaratna PSU," Patel told reporters here.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday once again slammed the mining policies of the Centre saying they have helped large mining firms to “run away with super normal profits” from mineral-rich l

The Orissa High Court on Wednesday ordered the state government to take the court’s permission before allowing operation of mines that are functioning under deemed extension clause of the Mineral C

Under fire from the Ministry of Mines for the inordinate delay in clearing applications for renewal of mining lease, the State Government on Monday reportedly told the Supreme Court-appointed Centr

PANJIM: The Goa government has constituted a panel for identifying agencies or individuals to prepare geo-referenced maps of mining leases through digital global positioning system (DGPS), as direc