 "Merchant mining leases lapsing by March 2020 may get three-year extension")
Secondary steel players and pellet makers most of which are running their units at depleted capacities have stoutly opposed a proposal by the Odisha government to the Centre for relaxing the ceiling on mining lease area.
Under Section 6 (1) (b) of Mines and Minerals- Development & Regulation (MMDR) Act, any leaseholder with 10 square kilometres (km) or more area in its control is debarred from acquiring any more mining lease in a state.
To overcome this restraining clause, the state government had shot off a missive to the Union mines ministry, to revise the area limit to 58 sq km for
