Date | Feb 02, 2016:
The state government has decided to sanction 474 hectares of mining land in Ballari to Kudremukh Iron Ore Company, the Government of India enterprise.
Speaking to reporters in Mangaluru on Monday, Mangaluru City North MLA BA Mohiuddin Bava said chief minister Siddaramaiah and minister for mines and geology Vinay Kulkarni have taken up the initiative to solve the issue.
"The state government has issued a circular sanctioning 474 hectares of mining land at Devadari in Ballari district. KIOCL is Asia's largest iron ore mining and palletisation complex and the country's biggest 100 per cent export-oriented unit engaged in the business of exporting high-quality iron oxide pellets and pig iron. The government has agreed to carry out mining at the sanctioned site in Ballari for a period of 20 years and thereafter the lease could be extended," he said.
There was uncertainty among the 10,000 employees directly or indirectly attached to KIOCL leading to rumours that the Mangaluru unit would be closed down due to lack of iron ore. Bava also said Siddaramaiah would visit the KIOCL unit in Mangaluru after the zilla panchayat elections.
Papers related to the sanction of mining land to KIOCL have been cleared and the same will be sent to the Centre for clearance. Within a month, all necessary clearances will be obtained to commence iron ore mining at Devadari.
"At present, KIOCL is procuring iron ore from Odisha, which involves huge expenditure for transportation. The government is committed to provide more mining land to KIOCL in the next phase," Bava added.
It may be recalled that KIOCL stopped mining activities at Kudremukh in Chikkamagaluru district in 2005 following a Supreme Court order. Since then it has been seeking mining lease from the state and Central governments. A formal announcement on this is likely to be made during Invest Karnataka 2016 to be shortly held in Bengaluru.
(Source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com/)
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