Seeking to enforce compliance to environmental norms by the miners, union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) minister Jairam Ramesh has asked the Mines Ministry to introduce a

UNION law ministry has proposed sweeping powers for the Centre to act against illegal mining. In its suggestions to the group of ministers, the law ministry has said the power to confiscate the property and earnings from illegal mining should be vested with the Centre.

BHUBANESWAR: Minister for Steel and Mines Raghunath Mohanty today said more than 1.42 crore tonne iron ore was exported during 200910 from the State. In a written reply to a question from Santosh Singh Saluja (Cong), Mohanty said besides the exported quantity, over 4.8 crore tonne iron ore was dispatched from different mines to some parts of the State as well as outside.

New Delhi: The steel ministry on Monday called for a complete ban on iron ore export, saying the mineral is a non-renewable resource like coal and petroleum products, and should be preserved.

Expressing shock over the barrage of media reports about the missing of seized iron ore from Belekeri Port stockyard near Karwar, Union Minister for Mines B K Handique on Thursday again asked the Karnataka Government to hand over all illegal mining activities taking place in the State to the CBI.

For a year now, officials of the Ministry of Mines have been seeking the help of beat reporters to garner support for a more enlightened minerals policy. The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Bill which has gone through several drafts had pitted the Minister for Mines B K Handique against Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh in a rather public battle for turf.

For the first time ever, the Ministry of Mines has given an iron ore reserve in Dhubri on

Vishwanath Kulkarni

The Ministry of Mines is of the opinion that the steel industry should develop technology to utilise the iron-ore fines before seeking a curb on the iron ore exports.

We have a regulator - the Indian Bureau of Mines, which is modernising its strategies to deal with illegal mining..

Vishwanath Kulkarni

The mining sector has been in the news for issues such as illegal mining and the growing demand for ban on iron exports among others.

THE government could dilute a clause in a draft legislation that requires miners to offer a 26% stake to families losing land to projects so that companies have more flexibility while providing relief.