MECL to assess ore reserves in 'C' category mines: Jayachandra

Karnataka government today entrusted state-owned Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited (MECL) to study the extent of iron ore mined and reserves left in 'C' category mines to expedite auctioning process of it to comply with directive of the Supreme Court.
"The cabinet approved the decision to entrust MECL to study the extent of iron ore mined and reserves left in 'C' category mines to expedite the process of auctioning of the mines to comply with directive of the apex court," Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra told reporters during cabinet briefing here.
"Based on court-appointed CEC's final report, the court had ordered cancellation of 51 'C' category mines and re-allot them through a transparent mechanism to end-users", he said.

The Central Empowered Committee, in its February 3, 2012, final report, divided 166 mining leases in Karnataka in A, B and C categories, based on the extent of illegalities committed by the lessees.
Jayachandra said the apex court had directed the government to submit steps taken by them in re-allotting 15 potential 'C' category mines.
The MECL will render the services after knowing the quantity of ore extracted and reserves remaining in these mines through a scientific study, Jayachandra said.
Earlier, the government had entrusted the task of assessing reserves to the National Institute of Technology, Karnataka, but decided to hand over it over to MECL, after the former could only assess reserves in one of the six alloted mines, Jayachandra said.