Odisha sets two panels to streamline mining,caps ore poduction

Odisha government today decided to set up two committees, one to expedite renewal of mining leases and another for satellite monitoring of mining activities in the field besides capping iron ore production in the state for the year 2014-15.
A series of decisions on the mining sector was here taken at the State Level Task Force on Mining meeting here presided over by Chief Secretary G C Pati.
Since renewal of mining was a major challenge for the state government, the committee resolved to set up a committee under the Chairmanship of Secretary of Forest and Environment department with members as Secretary of Steel and Mines department and PCCF (wildlife).

"The committee would expedite renewal of mining leases on the priority basis. It will ensure that the renewals are done before time as per the law," a senior official said.
The Task Force also decided to extend the time limit of eight mines, which are presently working with express order. These mines are told to submit various clearances by November 15. The earlier deadline was October 20, Director of Mines Deepak Mohanty told reporters after the meeting.
The state government had earlier passed express orders in respect of eight mines - four held by Tata Steel, three by Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) and the Kurmitar Pahar lease held by OMC.

The four Tata mines are Bamebari, Katamati, Joda East and Joda West, while the three SAIL mines are Bolani, Barsuan and Kalta. The government has not taken any decision on the remaining 18 mines. As these eight lessees are yet to furnish compliance on the status of their environment and forest clearances, the government today decided to ask them to fulfil the criteria by November 15.

In regards to the second committee, official sources said that the chief executive of the Orissa Space Applications Centre (ORSAC) would head it with members as director of geology and director of mines.
The committee would ensure space-based survillance system on the iron ore and manganese mines. The committee would verify ther acutal quantum of mining done by the lease holders, they said.

Of the 148 iron ore and manganese mines, the ORSAC has already undertaken field survey of 39 mines. Others would be done soon, the official said adding that the satellite monitoring will generate the ortho-rectified image of the lease hold area.
On the capping issue, Mohanty said, "The state government has fixed the cap on production of iron ore at 57 MT in 2014-15. While the cap would be 13 million tonne in the Koira sector, it would be 44 million tonnes in the Joda sector.