Shah panel seeks govt view on iron ore export ban

Illegal mining probe agency Justice M B Shah Commission of enquiry has sought the state government’s view on imposing a ban on export of minerals, especially iron ore.

The probe panel, which recently concluded its nine-day long tour to the state to verify mining lease records and other documents, has asked the government to give its recommendation whether export of mineral, particularly iron ore, should be prohibited, whether production of minerals should be capped and the government’s view regarding controlling of mineral prices.

The probe panel, on the final day of its second phase visit on October 12, had wanted to know the views of the government by asking nine questions including those on ban of mineral trade. It had also sought the government’s response on environmental damage due to mineral transportation, maintainance of road in mineral bearing area and providing housing facility to laborers by miners and whether mining companies must be asked to spend a particular amount for peripheral development.

The state mines directorate said, it is in the process of sending government views by the end of this week.

The state government has already requested the central government on various occasions to ban export of iron ore, bauxite and chromite. It has even taken steps to curb exports by introducing new regulations on export transportation.

As per the new export transportation norms, each and every mineral carrying truck has to be registered online and must at verified at various check gates while all the records should be shared on real-time basis through a centralised information gathering system.

The government has taken steps to cap iron ore truck movement in the state to 1,000 trucks per day and has also banned trader-to-trader sale for transshipments of iron ore to discourage the exports.

Besides, it has ordered that the top two iron ore producing zones in the state, which are Koira and Joda, cannot produce more than 52 million tonne ore in a year.

The probe panel headed by Justice M B Shah, which investigates illegal mining cases in Goa and Karnataka as well, has already recommended the Centre to ban iron ore exports, saying that miners violated rules mainly to make profit from the outbound shipments.