Mineral concession process for 3 industries held up

The process of recommendation for Mineral Concession (MC) of three companies has been stopped due to litigations filed in the Orissa High Court. They are Arati Steels (Ghantikhal), Visa Industries (Duburi) and BRG Iron and Steel Company ( Dhenkanal).

Due to restrain of the court, the hearing was stopped in case of applications of Aarti Steels and BRG Iron and Steel and after hearing process for the Visa Industries, sources said. The hearing was in progress on the prospecting license (PL) application of Aarti Steels for an area of 713.545 hectares at Patabeda in Sundergarh district when it was stopped. The court had ordered for an interim stay on the hearing process following filing of a case by MSP Sponge Iron Ltd relating to the property.

Similarly, the personal hearing on the PL application made by Visa Industries Ltd located at Duburi in Jajpur district for an area of 340.384 hectares in Adaghat, Gidei and Malda area of Sundergarh district was completed.

However, the further process was stopped due to the order of the High Court in a case filed by L N Metalliks Ltd. Meanwhile, the case has been disposed off by the High Court and the order is awaited. Besides, the interim stay by the Orissa High Court in a case filed by MSP Sponge Iron Ltd has stopped the process of hearing on the PL applications made by BRG Iron and Steel Ltd. BRG Iron and Steel has applied for PL over an area of 713.545 hectares in Adaghat, Gidei and Malda. According to sources, out of eight minerals concession applications over which the personal hearing was either completed or continuing by the steel and mines department during last three years, five cases were recommended to the Government of India (GoI) for grant of prospecting license (PL) or mining lease (ML).

The recommendations pertained to Posco India setting up of a 12 million tonne green-field steel plant near Paradeep in Jagatsinghpur. The Orissa government has recommended the grant of PL over an area of 2500 hectares at Khandadhar in Sundergarh district in favour of the company.

Recommendations favouring Bhushan Steel Ltd., setting up a 3 million tonne integrated steel plant at Meramundali has been sent to the Union government for grant of PL over an area of 280.755 hectares spread over village Marsuan, Tiriba and Narasinghapur of Keonjhar district.

Similarly, the state government has recommended the case of Action Ispat and Power Ltd for grant of PL over an area of 235 hectares at Unchabali in Keonjhar district to the Union government. The state government has also recommended for grant of PL to Jindal Stainless Ltd. (JSL) over an area of 892 hectares in Horomote mines in Keonjhar district.

On the other hand, the Government of India (GoI) has returned the recommendations of the state government pertaining to the grant of ML to SMC Power Generation over an area of 246.039 hectares in village Kahndabandh, Jaladihi and Baitarani RF of Keonjhar district with some queries, sources added.