In the midst of the illegal mining controversy, Karnataka on saturday urged the Centre to ban export of iron ore and find ways to create value addition for natural resources within the country.
Raising the issue of illegal mining at the National Development Council meeting, Karnataka Chief Minister B S
Yeddyurappa said despite efforts by various state governments, these problems were persisting across the states.
"A major reason is the indiscriminate export of iron ore and other such minerals. Unless certain curbs are placed on
export of iron ore, etc. undue exploitation and illegal mining are likely to continue," he said.
Noting that there was an urgent need to arrest the trend of export of nearly 58 per cent of the iron ore extracted in
the country, he said, "We have to find ways and means to create value addition within the country itself rather than
blindly exhaust our natural resources through indiscriminate exports".
The Chief Minister said at the recent Global Investor's Meet seven major steel producing companies have entered into
The Chief Minister said at the recent Global Investor's Meet seven major steel producing companies have entered into
Memorandum of Undertaking with the state government to set up integrated steel plants with a total capacity of 40
million tonnes per annum.
Even if some of these plants materialise within the next three-four years, the entire quantity of iron ore fines
generated in the state could be fully utilised within the state itself he said.
Yeddyurappa said that the current level of production of iron ore in the state is around 49 million tonnes 70%
in the form of fines and 30% in the form of lumps.