Steel Minister directs PSUs to make non-operational mines functional

The minister made the remarks at a meeting with CMDs of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), NMDC and Manganese Ore India Limited (MOIL)

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Union Steel Minister Ram Chandra Prasad Singh on Friday directed PSUs under his ministry to start mining activity at their non-operational mines.

According to a steel ministry statement, the minister made these remarks at a meeting with CMDs of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), NMDC and Manganese Ore India Limited (MOIL).

"Steel Minister has expressed his concern over the non-operationalisation of certain mines...and directed the concerned CPSEs to finalise the roadmap for starting the mining operations in these non-working leases/mines," the ministry statement said.

During the meeting, in which senior officials of the Ministry of Mines were also present, Singh directed the steel PSUs to expedite regulatory compliances to avoid lapsing of the leases of the mines.

The CPSEs have been directed to submit a status report at the earliest to Minister, it said.

While SAIL is an integrated steel making company under the Ministry of Steel, NMDC and MOIL are into mining of various types of minerals mainly iron ore and manganese ore.