In April, the court ordered 45 mines to seek government nod to resume operations

The Supreme Court has allowed 18 mines to resume iron ore mining in Karnataka, the country's second-largest supplier, after a suspension of over a year on environment concerns, Justice Aftab Alam and Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai said on Monday. The output from the re-started mines will be in addition to state-run NMDC's 1 million tonnes per month, which was cleared by the Supreme Court for production from August 6, 2011.

The Karnataka government has initiated several measures to curb illegal movement and the possibility of pilferage of iron ore in the state. The move comes after the direction of the Supreme Court and the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) in the recent past.

In an affidavit submitted to the Apex Court last week, chief secretary of the state S V Ranganath has said that the Mines and Geology Department has introduced the e-permit system to curb illegal transport of iron ore.

For the steel ministry starved of iron ore supply, there is good news as the Supreme Court is expected to state on Monday as to how many mining leases in Karnataka, presently closed under Court ord

Expert panel says effective checks and balances in place to ensure work in scientific manner

Iron ore mining in Karnataka is set to restart with the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) on Thursday giving the green signal to ‘A category’ of mines in the State to resume operations, provided they have all approvals in place. In the report submitted to the apex court, the panel said a system of effective checks and balances has been put in place to ensure that mining takes place in a scientific manner. A total 18 mines come under category A, which recorded least irregularities or no irregularities, and of which one mine has all the approvals required.

Agitation for cultivators’ right to land ownership yet to reach logical end

The death of Bagair Hukum cultivator Thimmaraju at Mekerahalli in Sira taluk of the district on Wednesday has rekindled the agitation in the Bagair Hukum farmers (those cultivating land sans legal ownership). Thimmaraju had consumed poison along with three other farmers who are demanding that they be given title deeds of the land they have been cultivating for over two decades now.

Samaj Parivarthan Samudaya (SPS), the main petitioner in the public interest petition on illegal mining in Karnataka, has appealed to the Supreme Court for scrapping of all mining leases in Category ‘A’, which fall in the forest areas in the three districts of Bellary, Chitradurga and Tumkur.

In a submission filed to the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) of the Supreme Court, in response to the SC direction on August 17, 2012, the non-government organisation has appealed for the cancellation of mining leases in Category B and C and impose suitable fine on them.

Forest department to review progress and survey leases

The Central Empowered Committee has informed the Supreme Court that the reclamation and rehabilitation work has been initiated in as many as five out of 16 in the ‘A’ category of mines in Karnataka. In its latest report submitted to the Supreme Court, it said that the forest department had agreed to provide all help and review the progress, besides the survey of the mining leases.

Bangalore After a three-year gap, the Karnataka government has initiated the process to recommend new iron ore mining leases, a move that could speed up the launch of large steel projects by ArcelorMittal and Tata Metaliks in the state.

“We have started the process by surveying land in Bellary and studying availability of iron ore deposits,” MN Vidyashankar, principal secretary, department of industries & commerce, Karnataka, told FE. The state government will have to forward lease recommendations for various parties to the Centre, which is the final ratifying authority.

New Delhi: The scale of the Karnataka mining scam seems to be getting bigger: the estimates of an expert panel suggest the alleged barons of illicit mining may have cheated the state of Rs 50,000 c