New Delhi The Supreme Court on Thursday decided to reopen its 2010 judgment that had ruled against granting of mining lease to JSW Steel and Kalyani Steel in Karnataka. The reopening of the case gives some hope to these companies which are keen to do mining of iron and manganese ores at 380 hectares in Sandur.

The apex court had on September 15, 2010, quashed a December 2004 recommendation by the Karnataka government — later endorsed by the Centre — to allow mining by JSW Steel and Kalyani.

Tribal Min Slams Guv For ‘Abdicating Constitutional Responsibility’
Subodh Ghildiyal TNN

At least five private companies under scanner

The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a preliminary enquiry to probe alleged irregularities in issuance of licences to at least five private companies for exploration of mineral wealth in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea during 2010-11. The prime allegation is that licences for 28 of the 62 offshore mines were granted to companies owned by the son and brother of an Indian Revenue Officer in conspiracy with unknown officials of the Indian Bureau of Mines and the Union Ministry of Mines.

NEW DELHI, 24 SEPT: Just a week after filing cases in the coal block allocation scam, the CBI has begun probing alleged irregularities in the country's first-ever attempt to explore untapped minera

New Delhi: A new scam worth several thousands of crores has come to light.

New Delhi After filing a series of cases in the coal block allocation scam, the CBI has now been tasked with unearthing alleged irregularities in the allocation of offshore mining licenses to private firms.

The CBI has registered a preliminary enquiry into allocation of 62 off-shore mineral blocks in the sea bed of of Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, the first-ever attempt to explore untapped mineral wealth worth thousands of crore.

Posco India may have to abandon its proposal for swapping of high alumina content iron ore found in the state with high grade ore from outside to meet the quality parameters of its proposed 12 million tonne greenfield steel project in Odisha.

Even the steel behemoth’s plan to swap iron ore within the country, a modified condition understood to be incorporated in the revised pact by the Odisha government may not hold ground if the latest order of the Union mines ministry is implemented.

“A number of observations made in it are factually incorrect”

The Goa Mineral Ore Exporters’ Association on Saturday found fault with the report of the Justice M.B. Shah Commission of Inquiry on the illegal mining in the State. In a letter to the Secretary, Ministry of Mines, Government of India, the association’s executive secretary S. Sridhar said “a number of observations made in the report are factually incorrect.”

New Delhi In a move that might speed up environmental clearances for mining firms, the Centre may ask the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) to independently verify compliance of norms suggested by the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) for all mining projects.

This is being done to ensure constant monitoring of projects during the execution and completion stages. The MoEF has already proposed the need for evolving an independent monitoring system to get a fair assessment of the project and also reduce chances of conflict between the ministry and project proponents.