Moving towards privatisation of mining in India, the Union government granted Essar Steel Limited a prospecting licence in February 2007 to mine iron ore reserves in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district. The licence was given after the National Mineral Development Corporation's 30-year lease expired on February 3, 2007, without any excavations having been undertaken. Essar will reportedly use the iron from the 2,285-hectare stretch in Deposit 3 in the Bailadila mountains to feed a steel plant in Dantewada. The plant is facing stiff opposition from local tribals who will lose their land if the project comes up.
Links:
[1] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/news/essar-gets-bailadila-prospecting-lease
[2] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/newspaper/down-earth
[3] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/land-resources
[4] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/land-ownership
[5] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/mining
[6] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/iron
[7] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/displacement
[8] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/tribals
[9] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/conflicts
[10] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/private-sector
[11] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/india