The Odisha government may consider granting lease extension to 3 merchant Chromite mines of B C Mohanty, Mishrilal and Tata Steel. The high level clearance committee headed by the Development Commissioner U N Behera is scheduled to meet on 8th of this month to consider lease extension of these 3 mines and several other iron ore mines, as per the new MMDR act.
According to sources, there is high probability that B C Mohanty and Tata Steel mines would be granted lease extension.
However, all eyes will be on the Tata Steel’s Sukinda Chrome mine, whose express order has been expired on 31 May’15. Odisha government had granted express order to this mine December last year considering it as a captive mine. Whereas, earlier it had been accorded non-captive status. The ferrochrome industry is demanding non-captive status to the Tata mines, as it would boost the availability of Chrome ore in the market.
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