Centre to amend mining law to address iron ore issues

With iron ore allotment to steel industries becoming a major concern, the Centre is all set to amend the Mines Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act to incorporate aspects like value addition to boost steel production in the country.

''The ministry of mines is preparing the proposed amendments to be tabled in Parliament within 100 days,'' said P K Rastogi, secretary in the union ministry of steel.

Stating that some steel manufacturing units were facing raw material problems, he said the amendment bill was likely to be tabled during the winter session of Parliament.

''Encourage value addition and discourage export of iron ore will be the policy as the country aims at producing at least 120 mt steel by 2012,'' Rastogi told reporters on the sideline of an international convention on clean, green and sustainable technologies in iron and steel making here.

He said allotment of raw materials like iron ore and coal to existing industries was a priority for the government while the proposed units could wait for the raw material linkage.