SAIL chairman meet environment minister over Chiria mines

Sunday, 16 Jan 2011

It is reported that senior officials from steel ministry and Steel Authority of India Limited called on environment minister Mr Jairam Ramesh seeking forest clearance to mine iron ore from Chiria reserves in Jharkhand, which is mired in controversies.

An official source said that "Steel Secretary Mr PK Misra and Steel Authority of India Ltd chairman Mr CS Verma called on environment minister Mr Jairam Ramesh seeking forest clearance to one of the deposits in Chiria. The state government has renewed the lease and forest clearance from the centre is awaited.”

The minister, sources added made it clear that a final decision on it would be taken only on the recommendations of the Forest Advisory Committee which is meeting on January 18.

Sources said SAIL wants to start mining from Budhaburu (Mc-Lellan) lease of Chiria iron ore mine containing around 800 million tonnes of iron ore, for which the Jharkhand government has given in-principle approval for renewal.

Steel ministry and SAIL have been making efforts for renewal of leases for mining iron ore from Chiria reserve in Jharkhand, home to about 2 billion tonnes of rich deposits, in SAIL's favor and as per sources, the Jharkhand government has given consent for renewal of one of the leases.

SAIL and the state government have locked horns over renewal of leases for over five years now and out of six leases at Chiria with SAIL, renewal of three was under dispute with Jharkhand and is at present pending before the Supreme Court. Two leases are under deemed extension.

Of the leases that SAIL has at present, three -- Ajitaburu, Sukri-latur and Tatiburu -- are under dispute, while two, Dhobil and Ankua, are under deemed extension, Minister of State for Steel A Sai Prathap had said last month.

Total estimated reserves with SAIL in the leases of Chiria iron ore mines are about 1,840 million tonnes. The mines were originally allotted to Indian Iron and Steel Company, which was merged with SAIL in 2005.

Sourced from news.in.msn.com