| The dispute over the Chiria mine lease issue may continue for some time, as the Jharkhand state government has claimed that the Union government cannot resolve the issue.
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| The stalemate in renewal of Chiria lease applications submitted by the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) to the Jharkhand government is therefore likely to drag on for some more time as the present UPA-supported coalition government led by Madhu Koda seems to be reluctant to resolve the dispute out of the court.
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| In a status report submitted recently to Jharkhand High Court, the state government said that it would participate in the dialogue convened by the Union government in pursuant to "constitutional courtesy".
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| But such negotiations cannot "pre-empt" the adjudication of the writ filed by the state government on the issue.
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| The Centre had already organised four meetings between SAIL and the state government to resolve the Chiria mines issue.
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| All the meetings failed to yield any result. The court had sought a status report from the state government after the latter challenged the order of the Central Mining Tribunal cancelling the mining leases of three blocks of Chiria - Ajitaburu, Jhilingburu and Sukri.
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| Meanwhile, a delegation led by SAIL chairman S K Rungta met the Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda in the state capital recently and apprised him of the problems that would be faced by Sail at its existing steel plants and at the units being expanded if the leases of iron ore blocks were delayed.
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| The chief minister reportedly told the SAIL chairman that the state government would expedite in disposing the lease renewal applications of SAIL save and except the mining blocks which were pending in the high court for judicial orders.
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| Koda had been the mines and geology minister in the former NDA-led government.
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| He had taken an active role in cancelling the three iron ore mines of the erstwhile Indian Iron & Steel Company (IISCO) which merged with SAIL last year.
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| Later, SAIL opposed the state's cancellation order before the Central Mining Tribunal which quashed the state government's cancellation order and directed the state government to renew the leases.
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| The state government thereafter filed a writ petition in the Jharkhand High Court challenging the tribunal's order.
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| The Centre had organised its four meetings on August 7 August 18, September 4 and December 8 last year between SAIL and the state government to resolve the Chiria issue.
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| Senior counsel M S Ganesh and standing counsel (mines) S K Verma appearing for the state in the High Court argued that the tripartite discussions were not intended to pre-empt the adjudication of the present writ petition by this court.
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| The counsels for the state said tripartite discussions held in the PMO were over the issue of quantum of iron ore that should be made accessible for exploitation by SAIL.for its projected requirements.
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| It was submitted that in the tripartite discussions, it was decided that out of a total reserve of 2 billion tonne of iron ore reserve in Chiria-Gua area, 1 billion tonne would be allotted to SAIL for its proposed expansion plan of Bokaro Steel Plant. |
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