Centre not in favour of closing down mines: Steel Secy

The Centre is not in favour of closing down some of operational iron ore mines in the wake of Justice M B Shah Commission report on illegal mining activities in Odisha, a senior official said today.
"I don't think so," Union Steel Secretary G Mohan Kumar said while replying a question on possibility of some mines being closed down after being indicted in illegal mining activities.
Stating that raw material scarcity is part of the issue, Kumar, who was here to review progress in the steel sector, said, "The steel plants faced a crisis in Karnataka but that situation is unlikely to appear in Odisha."

The steel project insiders in the state, however, apprehend that the a number of iron ore and manganese mines are likely to face closure in view of Shah Commission recommendation. The panel had suggested halting of mining activities around the Baitarani river, citing that it was causing pollution.
Stating that mining operations without environment clearance (EC) is illegal, the panel suggested that that need to be stopped immediately. The panel also stated 96 mining leases had delayed ECs while 94 were operating without EC.