No green nod to iron ore projects

Environment ministry has decided not to consider any integrated steel plants and sponge iron plants, for which iron ore is to be sourced from Bellary, Tumkur and Chitradurga districts of Karnataka.

Environment ministry has decided not to consider any integrated steel plants and sponge iron plants, for which iron ore is to be sourced from Bellary, Tumkur and Chitradurga districts of Karnataka.

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The decision came after the Supreme Court last two months banned iron ore mining in these three districts following reports of illegal mining scam.

Former Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hedge had given a reporting indicting the then state chief minister BS Yeddyurappa of allowing illegal mining.

In an order issued on Wednesday, the ministry said both the Central and the states’ Expert Appraisal Committees will not consider any projects, which are linked to iron ore as a raw material to be obtained from these three districts.

The ministry has directed the respective EACs to de-list any such proposals under consideration and not to list new projects till the ban is not lifted.

The ministry has already decided orders not to consider any iron ore mining projects from these three districts following the apex court order.