Contrary to the stand taken by Union ministries of metal and mining, the Basavaraj Bommai-led Karnataka authorities has opposed lifting of a decade-old ban on export of iron ore from the state.
To justify its place, it has advised the Supreme Court that the rising home demand of metal requires proportionate iron ore amount and added that unregulated exports would result in quite a few issues.
Changing its earlier stance. the Union ministries of metal has not too long ago supported the miners’ case for lifting of ban on export of iron ore extracted from the Karnataka’s three districts – Bellary, Chitradurga and Tumkar.
The SC-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which had earlier favoured the ban, additionally relented earlier than the SC and mentioned that the present state of affairs warranted lifting of all of the laws on exports.
The state authorities, nevertheless, has mentioned the CEC’s suggestion for unregulated exports of iron ore from the three districts “is not backed by any material and is a substantial shift as against all its earlier stand.”
“Karnataka reiterates its stand taken in the earlier affidavit and for the present, no exports ought to be permitted of the iron ore which are excavated from the mines situated in the State,” the affidavit said, including that the purport of quite a few SC orders would present that probably the most emergent purposes pertain to rehabilitation solely.
“The public interest lies in disposal of these application (rehabilitation) as a first step… it is one thing to contend that a certain amount has been accumulated in a fund and completely another to say that such amount has actually been used towards rehabilitation,” it added.
Samaj Parivartan Samudaya, the NGO, which is the petitioner earlier than the SC, had opposed any such exports on the grounds that minerals being nationwide property should be preserved and solely completed metal must be exported. It additionally said that exports shouldn’t be allowed as there was no surplus of iron ore.
While reserving its judgement on resumption of exports from the state and whether or not miners can promote their ore by way of modes aside from e-auction, the apex court docket led by Chief Justice NV Ramana had requested the Karanataka authorities to make clear its stand. Even Vedanta had requested the SC to allow the lessees to export or promote iron ore with out take recourse to e-auction because the metal crops and different associated industries weren’t keen to buy within the e-auction or above the prevailing market worth.
The Supreme Court had in 2013 banned the export of iron ore from Karnataka to verify environmental harm within the state and glued the utmost permissible annual manufacturing restrict at 35 MMT for the A and B class mines.
Source: www.financialexpress.com”