India's top iron ore producing Orissa state has stopped issuing export permits for cargoes shipped via two small ports after they failed to cooperate on a state-led investigation into illegal mining, Orissa's mines minister said on Monday.
“The Gangavaram and Kakinada ports did not cooperate” with the state mines and steel department's queries on the volume of iron ore exported through these ports and the mechanism they followed to prevent illegal exports, minister Raghunath Mohanty told Reuters.
“It is not a matter of great concern as major ports like Paradip, Visakhapatnam and Haladia are still operational. Only few exporters use these ports,” said Dhruv Goel, managing director with SteelMint, an iron ore trader in Orissa.
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