Business Line reported that the government of Odisha has asked the state’s iron ore merchant miners to supply half of their mined lumps and fine to local standalone units. Early, it had directed merchant miners to allocate 50% of the ore to the units without captive mines.
On December 5, in a communication to Director of mines, Mr Rajesh Verma, Principal Secretary to the Odisha Government, authorized Deputy Directors of Mines and other circle level mining officials, to monitor and implement the directive with immediate effect.
The government also formed an inter ministerial committee for formulation of policy for long term ore linkages to these ore-based units. A senior State Steel and Mines Department official told Business Line that the government at present focused on regulating the merchant mining. He said “Value addition and linkages to the producing units are the targets.”
