The Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (Fimi) favours re-opening of mines categorised as A and B in Karnataka.

“The Supreme Court has stopped all iron ore mines in Karnataka. We understand that the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has now finished the survey of all mines and classified them into A B and C categories. We are hopeful that at least the mines in A and B categories be allowed to open,” said Mr Basant Poddar, Chairman, Fimi-South.

The Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (Fimi) said Bellary district administration has misled ICFRE team on impact of mining in the district.

“The Bellary district administration held the mining industry responsible for lower agriculture productivity during 2003-2010,” said Mr D.V. Pichamuthu, Director, Fimi-South.

“However, the official figures show that during this entire period, the rainfall was below normal except for one year,” he explained.

Apanel set up by the Supreme Court to investigate Karnataka’s illegal mining mess has made some important recommendations. It says 49 licences are patently illegal and should be scrapped. Another 72 mining companies should be fined for operating outside sanctioned areas. It also asks for Karnataka’s iron ore output to be capped at 30 million tonnes, down a third from its 45-million-tonne level till the court banned all mining in the state. These strictures are welcome: they could help restart mining in the state and bring Karnataka’s crony capitalism to heel.

New Delhi In what may hit steel and mining companies in Karnataka, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) in its report to the Supreme Court has recommended that the iron ore mining in Bellary district should be capped at 25 million tonne (mt), whereas for other districts Chitradurga and Tumkur, a ceiling of 5 mt should be imposed.

‘Greed of a few people putting ecology in peril’

The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) on Monday recommended cancellation of 49 mining leases in three districts of Karnataka, including some belonging to both BJP and Congress politicians.

The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) on Monday filed its final report on illegal mining in Bellary, Chitradurga and Tumkur districts of Karnataka recommending cancellation of 49 mining leases for “flagrant” violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act and other laws. The CEC has told the court that “these (49) leases should be directed to be cancelled on account of being found to be involved in substantially illegal mining”. PTI

Wants cancellation of 49 iron ore leases, penalties on others

The panel appointed a year earlier by the Supreme Court to probe illegal mining in Karnataka has made several recommendations in its final report, with far-reaching implications. The final report was given to the SC on Friday.

After a nine-month survey and demarcation of mining areas in three mineral-rich districts of Bellary, Chitradurga and Tumkur; the Supreme Court-constituted Central Empowered Committee (CEC) investigating illegal mining in the state, is likely to submit its final report to the apex court on Monday.

The final report is believed to contain significant recommendations that would decide the future of once-powerful iron ore mining lobby in the state. One of the most important suggestions is auctioning of mining leases that had been recommended for cancellation by CEC for illegalities.

The Supreme Court-appointed committee investigating illegal iron ore mining in Karnataka is tying up loose ends in Bellary district and will be submitting its final report early next month. The court’s forest bench is to hear the case again on February 3. The Central Empowered Committee (CEC), whose investigations prompted the Supreme Court to suspend mining in iron ore-rich areas of the state, affecting nearly a fourth of the country’s production, has looked into every aspect of the ore’s mining in the state. Investigations have been on for a year.

‘Experience the plight of manual scavengers’

The High Court of Karnataka on Monday gave a dressing down to the chairpersons of Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Board and Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board on their failure to implement its orders to prevent manual scavenging in the State.