<p>Mining giant Sesa Sterlite Ltd, which is one of the eight companies that were controversially given the Letter of Intent by the State government, is said to have transported an extra 3.62 lakh metric tonnes of iron ore between 2008-09 and 2010-11. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Previously known as Sesa Goa, with mining licence number 2236, the company is said to have transported the excess iron ore by train as per the records of the Director of Mines and Geology (DMG) and the South Western Railway. <br /><br />In 2013, a resident of Hosadurga, who wishes to remain anonymous, obtained information under the Right To Information (RTI) Act, that suggests Sesa Goa was transporting more iron ore from Sasalu railway station than the DMG had permitted it to mine. The railway station is located in Chitradurga district, 18 kms from the mining site. <br /><br />The company has been mining in the Nirthadi forest range in Chitradurga since 1996. But the mines remained defunct until earlier this year following a Supreme Court order in the Samaj Parivartan Samudaya (SPS) vs State of Karnataka case. <br /><br />The renewal of its licence (see box) by the government has once again turned the spotlight on the company which has been accused of violating several forest norms and transporting excess iron ore outside Karnataka. <br /><br />As per the DMG records, Sesa Goa had mined 50,38,500 metric tonnes of iron ore in the Nirthadi forest area. But information given by the Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Dr Anup Dayanand Sadhu, suggests the company exported 52,25,562 metric tonnes of iron ore. <br /><br />In addition, as per the DMG’s records, the company surrendered 60,640 metric tones of iron ore in 2009-10 and 1,14,050 in 2010-11. But the DGM hasn’t shown any record on how much iron ore the company was supposed to have surrendered in 2008-2009. <br /><br />In total, the difference between the amount of iron ore extracted and transported by the company by train alone is 3,62,548 MT of iron ore. <br /><br />It may be recalled that the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) had categorised Sesa Goa into ‘B’ category of companies involved in mining violations. A report by the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Central), K S Reddy, on May 31, 2013, states that as many as four Forest Offence (FO) cases were registered against Sesa Sterlite. <br /><br />FO cases include stocking of waste material outside the leased area, sliding of the dump outside the leased area, transport and storage of waste material in private land outside the leased area and encroachment of forest for dump, mining pit and others. </p>
<p>Mining giant Sesa Sterlite Ltd, which is one of the eight companies that were controversially given the Letter of Intent by the State government, is said to have transported an extra 3.62 lakh metric tonnes of iron ore between 2008-09 and 2010-11. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Previously known as Sesa Goa, with mining licence number 2236, the company is said to have transported the excess iron ore by train as per the records of the Director of Mines and Geology (DMG) and the South Western Railway. <br /><br />In 2013, a resident of Hosadurga, who wishes to remain anonymous, obtained information under the Right To Information (RTI) Act, that suggests Sesa Goa was transporting more iron ore from Sasalu railway station than the DMG had permitted it to mine. The railway station is located in Chitradurga district, 18 kms from the mining site. <br /><br />The company has been mining in the Nirthadi forest range in Chitradurga since 1996. But the mines remained defunct until earlier this year following a Supreme Court order in the Samaj Parivartan Samudaya (SPS) vs State of Karnataka case. <br /><br />The renewal of its licence (see box) by the government has once again turned the spotlight on the company which has been accused of violating several forest norms and transporting excess iron ore outside Karnataka. <br /><br />As per the DMG records, Sesa Goa had mined 50,38,500 metric tonnes of iron ore in the Nirthadi forest area. But information given by the Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Dr Anup Dayanand Sadhu, suggests the company exported 52,25,562 metric tonnes of iron ore. <br /><br />In addition, as per the DMG’s records, the company surrendered 60,640 metric tones of iron ore in 2009-10 and 1,14,050 in 2010-11. But the DGM hasn’t shown any record on how much iron ore the company was supposed to have surrendered in 2008-2009. <br /><br />In total, the difference between the amount of iron ore extracted and transported by the company by train alone is 3,62,548 MT of iron ore. <br /><br />It may be recalled that the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) had categorised Sesa Goa into ‘B’ category of companies involved in mining violations. A report by the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Central), K S Reddy, on May 31, 2013, states that as many as four Forest Offence (FO) cases were registered against Sesa Sterlite. <br /><br />FO cases include stocking of waste material outside the leased area, sliding of the dump outside the leased area, transport and storage of waste material in private land outside the leased area and encroachment of forest for dump, mining pit and others. </p>
