Govt mulling restricting iron ore exports: Dr Das

New Delhi, Nov 24: The Government today said that it was mulling the issue of restricting iron ore exports as at the present rate of growth of consumption and export, the total iron ore resources of the country would be exhausted by 2030.

Minister of State for Steel Akhilesh Das informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply that iron ore exports had more than doubled during the past five years while domestic consumption had grown only one and a half times.

He said the Indian Bureau of Mines had estimated that as on April 1, 2005, the country had 25.25 billion tonnes of iron ore resources of which the economically mineable resources were at 7.21 billion tonnes.

In reply to another question, Dr Das said import of steel had risen from 1.271 million tonnes in 2001-02 to 3.850 million tonnes in 2005-06. Domestic requirement of finished (carbon) steel had similarly gone up from 31.169 million tonnes in 2003-04 to 39.185 million tonnes in 2005-06. In the first half of 2006-07, consumption was at 19.505 million tonnes against the production of 22.313 million tonnes.

SAIL Corporate Plan: Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) has formulated a corporate plan which envisages increasing its capacity of saleable steel production to 20.75 million tonnes per annum by 2011-12. Government has asked SAIL to expedite the completion of its projects so that the capacity enhancement can be achieved earlier.

Till date, projects involving investment of around Rs 18,000 crore, are under various stages of implementation. The number of major projects costing more than Rs 100 crore was 24, the Minister added.

SAIL had submitted proposals for renewal of mining leases for Chiria iron ore mines. Three of the six leases were under deemed extension and the other three were under litigation between SAIL and the Jharkhand government in the Jharkhand High Court.

In the case of Rowghat, the matter was taken up by the Ministry.

The Mines Ministry through a gazette notification dated 8/9/06 reserved the Raodongri in the sub-blocks of Rowghat F deposit in favour of SAIL. The process for grant of mining lease and related statutory clearances was under progress.

UNI