Mining-dependent community urges govt to remove curbs on iron ore sale in Karnataka

New Delhi: The community of mining dependents in Karnataka on Monday urged the government to remove restrictions on iron ore sale from the state, saying it will help create additional one lakh jobs in the mining sector and bring great relief amid COVID-19 crisis.

Karnataka Gani Avalambithara Vedike (KGAV), which represents mining dependents, lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Vocal for Local’ campaign and appealed to the government to adopt similar policies for iron ore mining in Karnataka.

Welcoming Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa’s recommendation for allowing the sale of eight million tonnes of iron ore that had been extracted before the Supreme Court ruling on cancellation of the ‘C’ class mining leases, KGAV also made a plea to the state government to expedite the process of seeking clearances from the relevant authorities.

The initiative will provide much-required impetus to the economy and fight COVID-19. The funds generated can also be used for accelerating relief efforts towards protection of lives and livelihoods for the COVID-affected communities across the state, KGAV said in a statement.

The Karnataka government in July 2010 had imposed a blanket ban on exports, which was subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court in 2011.

Due to the ban, iron-ore mined from Karnataka cannot be sold outside India.

As a result of unfair policy-level restrictions, the livelihood of lakhs of mining dependents in the state is getting affected because the workers cannot mine beyond a certain limit which has been imposed by the authorities, the KGAV said.