Orissa is yet to lift suspension on exports of minerals extracted within the state through Gangavaram and Kakinada ports, the two private ports with operating bases in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
The state government had announced a freeze on ore exports through these ports two months back as the port operators did not share any information on exports.
“The Gangavaram port has submitted data on mineral ore exports and has requested the Orissa government to allow exports through the port. Their proposal is under scrutiny of the Directorate of Mines. The Kakinada port, on the other hand, is yet to provide any export related data and without this information, there is no way we can permit exports,” said a top official source.
Coming under intense pressure from the Orissa government, the port authorities of Haldia and Vishakhapatnam have started sharing complete information on mineral ore exported through their ports from November 1 last year. The information pertains to number of trucks arriving at the ports, the quantity of mineral loaded, quantum of ore exported and names of transporters.
Except the Paradip Port, none of the other ports was sharing information on ore exports. Nearly 25 million tonnes of iron ore were shipped from Orissa in 2011-12 as against the pan-India export figure of 97 million tonnes. Peeved over the irregularity in submission of information on ore exports by some of the ports, the Orissa government had recently sought the intervention of the Centre to ensure that the details of ores received at different ports are supplied to the state director of mines.
“It is seen that almost all the ports excepting Paradip Port trust located in the state, are not furnishing the information regularly on the receipt of minerals through road and rail for export purpose to enable the state government to verify whether the minerals have been received against valid permit. The Ministry of shipping may be advised to ensure that the details of ore received at different ports are supplied to the Director of Mines, Orissa to co-relate with the quantity for which royalty payment has been made by the lessees,” Patnaik had said in his letter to the Cabinet secretary.
Patnaik had also pointed out that the customs authorities at various ports are equally irregular in submission of the details of the minerals exported through the ports even though a decision was taken at a meeting of the Committee of secretaries held in May this year that such details should be shared by the customs department with the Orissa government. The department of revenue may reiterate their instructions to the custom houses for supply of the information on a regular basis containing the party-wise, month-wise and mineral-wise details of mineral exported to the Director of mines-Orissa, Patnaik had suggested.
