<p>Addressing a press meet at the KIOCL premises here on Sunday, Chaturvedi said that it is difficult for KIOCL to expand its operations without State government’s help. <br />“The Supreme Court order, which stopped mining in Kudremukh, is a major setback for the KIOCL Limited. We have already written to the State government and we will hold discussion with Chief Secretary on Monday,” he added.<br /><br />“We are not going to mine in Kudremukh again. However, we will move curative petition at the Supreme Court to remove 24 million tonnes of iron ores, which is lying in withered condition at Kudremukh after the Apex Court stopped mining activities in Kudremukh in 2003,” he said adding that it will create environment issues as the withered ore is being washed away to the Bhadra river every rainy season.<br /><br />He said that the Ministry was striving to re-establish KIOCL for the past one-and-a-half year. However, KIOCL Limited is not a loss making company, he added. Talking about the proposals of opening a police commando training centre and an eco-tourism project at Kudremukh, Chaturvedi said, “we will consider the State government’s proposals. However, the State also should give us back due co-operation to re-establish the company.” <br /><br />Desilting<br />Chaturvedi said that the desilting work being taken up in Lakhya dam is not a non-forest activity. “We are not doing any non-forest activity. Once the desilting work was done, water can be supplied to Mangalore City too. Moreover, desilted materials can be used for other purposes too,” he said. <br /><br />Conservation of ore<br />Chaturvedi said that there is need of taking steps to conserve iron ore for future as the demand increases every year. “The current requirement of iron ore in the nation is 70 million tonnes per year. While the requirement of iron ore will be 120 million tonnes by 2012, the demand may cross 200 million tonnes by 2020,” he explained. <br />Talking about the machineries lying idle in Kudremukh, Chaturvedi said that the Ministry is in touch with the Steel Authority of India (SAIL) to lease those equipment to them. “We will ask the SAIL to send a team to conduct survey in Kudremukh,” he added. <br />Secretary to the Union Ministry of Steel George Elias and KIOCL Chairman and Managing Director K Ranganath were present.<br />DH News Service</p>
<p>Addressing a press meet at the KIOCL premises here on Sunday, Chaturvedi said that it is difficult for KIOCL to expand its operations without State government’s help. <br />“The Supreme Court order, which stopped mining in Kudremukh, is a major setback for the KIOCL Limited. We have already written to the State government and we will hold discussion with Chief Secretary on Monday,” he added.<br /><br />“We are not going to mine in Kudremukh again. However, we will move curative petition at the Supreme Court to remove 24 million tonnes of iron ores, which is lying in withered condition at Kudremukh after the Apex Court stopped mining activities in Kudremukh in 2003,” he said adding that it will create environment issues as the withered ore is being washed away to the Bhadra river every rainy season.<br /><br />He said that the Ministry was striving to re-establish KIOCL for the past one-and-a-half year. However, KIOCL Limited is not a loss making company, he added. Talking about the proposals of opening a police commando training centre and an eco-tourism project at Kudremukh, Chaturvedi said, “we will consider the State government’s proposals. However, the State also should give us back due co-operation to re-establish the company.” <br /><br />Desilting<br />Chaturvedi said that the desilting work being taken up in Lakhya dam is not a non-forest activity. “We are not doing any non-forest activity. Once the desilting work was done, water can be supplied to Mangalore City too. Moreover, desilted materials can be used for other purposes too,” he said. <br /><br />Conservation of ore<br />Chaturvedi said that there is need of taking steps to conserve iron ore for future as the demand increases every year. “The current requirement of iron ore in the nation is 70 million tonnes per year. While the requirement of iron ore will be 120 million tonnes by 2012, the demand may cross 200 million tonnes by 2020,” he explained. <br />Talking about the machineries lying idle in Kudremukh, Chaturvedi said that the Ministry is in touch with the Steel Authority of India (SAIL) to lease those equipment to them. “We will ask the SAIL to send a team to conduct survey in Kudremukh,” he added. <br />Secretary to the Union Ministry of Steel George Elias and KIOCL Chairman and Managing Director K Ranganath were present.<br />DH News Service</p>
