the goan I network
MARGAO
Union Minister of Steel Chaudhary Birender Singh on Monday has said the mining crisis plaguing the State of Goa is an issue that should be resolved by three parties -- the Judiciary, State and the miners -- but hastened to add that the ban on mining operations in Goa has not impacted the country’s steel industry as mining in the State was basically meant for the export market.
Birender Singh expressed concern over the fact that leases of captive mines, besides iron ore and cooking coal is set to expire by 2020 and the Ministry is taking steps how to come out of the issue and maintain raw material to the steel industry.
The Union Minister and the Secretary, Steel parried a question whether the agitation against coal transportation from MPT, Goa would have an adverse impact on the steel industry in Karnataka.
The Union Minister was in Goa to attend the Parliamentary Consultative Committee meeting concerning the steel sector and said the issue of Goa’s mining ban was not part of the deliberations during the meeting. On behalf of the Minister, Secretary Steel Binoy Kumar, however, made it clear that the ban on mining operations in Goa had not created much of an impact on the steel industry as far as the domestic demand of the industry is concerned. “We don’t have the exact figures on the export of ore from Goa. But, so far as the domestic demand is concerned, the ban has not created much of an impact since production of ore in Goa was basically for the export market,” Kumar said. However, we feel that the issue should be resolved by the Judiciary, State government and the miners.
Addressing the meeting, Singh said the steel industry is set for a major turnaround in the country, but at the same time sounded a warning that leases of large number of mines across the country are set to expire in 2020.
“We have taken a serious view how to come out of this phenomenon that would arise
in 2020”, he said. He said the situation can be overcome if some mines in Karnataka, Odisha and Jharkhand, which are not operating because of some legal problems, are revived to ensure that sufficient raw material is available for the existing plants and to meet the requirements of expansion plans.
The Union Minister pointed out that the National policy on scrap will also help meet the demand of the steel sector. “Around seven million tonnes of scrap is available in the country and this will be put to use. Use of scrap does not conform to quality but is environment friendly,” he added.
He further said that Prime Minister Narendra Nodi’s Make in India will not only help set up new steel industries, but will boost the expansion plans.
