11/04/09

Mining – International 1
1. Nigeria / Experts to meet in Abuja on mining sector growth 1
2. Gold mine output in 2008 lowest in 12 years 2
3. Toro joins Mega in uranium mine race 3
4. How illegal mining is fuelling DRC conflict 4
5. Opinion: Mining exploration in Vietnam: China's new strategy of expansionism 5
6. CISA denies report of falling domestic iron ore production 6
7. Indigenous activisits protest gold mine expansion 7
Mining – India 8
8. POSCO says seeks 50 pct cut in iron ore prices 8
9. Tata Steel to begin production in South Africa next year 8
10. Zimbabwe: Chiadzwa Diamonds Banned 9
11. Rio Tinto moots hanging on to minerals division 11
12. Inflation rate declines on cheaper minerals 12
13. Coking coal prices, quality are not competitive enough globally 13
14. Tata Steel aims at 20% growth 16
15. CPI against mining lease to private companies 17
Other News 18
16. NEAA to hear bauxite petition on April 21 18
17. NHRC admits human rights case lodged by law student 19
18. Civil society unhappy with manifestos 20
19. Oppn to Posco, outside support to Govt on list 20
20. Environmentalists oppose SEZ’s, large hydro, mining in Himalayas 21
Mining – International
Nigeria / Experts to meet in Abuja on mining sector growth

ABUJA, Nigeria, April 10, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ — National experts on mining from ECOWAS Member States will meet in Abuja from Tuesday, 14th April 2009 ahead of a Ministers of Mines Conference at the close of the week to consider the “Draft ECOWAS Directive on the Harmonization of Guiding Principles and Policies in the mining Sector”.
The draft document is the first of three documents whose adoption would lead to the harmonization of the regimes in Member States and therefore the desired mining legal environment in West Africa.
The other documents are the draft regional mining Policy and the draft Mining Code.
Areas of the draft directives the experts are expected to consider are the harnessing of mineral resources for growth and development in the region, equitable mining regime, improving governance in the mining sector as well as the institution of some mechanisms to ensure intergenerational equity.
Others include enhancing the value chain and linkages between the mineral resources sector and other sectors of the economy, participatory ownership of the minerals sector by all stakeholders, enhancing institutional and human capacities for the development of the minerals sector and the institution of a mechanism for monitoring and evaluation of the impact of mining activities on the citizens of West Africa.

http://appablog.wordpress.com/2009/04/10/nigeria-experts-to-meet-in-abuja-on-mining-sector-growth/
Gold mine output in 2008 lowest in 12 years

Friday, Apr 10, 2009
Global gold mine supply contracted by almost 3% in 2008 resulting in production levels falling to a 12-year low. Indonesia output decreased by 35%, South Africa, 14% and Australia 13%, according to Gold Survey 2009 released by GFMS Ltd
In Indonesia production fall was largely associated with mine sequencing leading to the extraction of low gold grade ores at the Grasberg. In South Africa, safety related stoppages, and lost time relating to a force majeure announced by Eskom, the state electricity provider in January 2008, were both accountable for a large measure of the shortfall.
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Significant production improvements were comparatively limited with Russia and Peru leading the field, increasing by 11% and 6%, with both countries’ output benefiting from the roll-out of a major mining project, specifically the Kupol mine and the Yanacocha plant upgrade respectively.
On an annualised basis producers’ Total cash costs continued to expand last year, with an average increase of almost 20% against 2007. However, GFMS noted that cost benefits were already being realised in the December quarter, with the price declines noted for many consumables, coupled with depreciating currencies in several major mining countries, leading to an average decline of 9% quarter-on-quarter in US dollar terms.
Producers continued to eliminate gold hedges at elevated levels last year, with producer de-hedging, a source of physical gold demand, calculated at 358 tonnes by GFMS, serving to constrain net supply from the mining industry. Most of this activity came two-thirds of global de-hedging last year. Klapwijk stated that “with outstanding gold hedges amounting to less than 500 tonnes at the end of 2008, the scope for producer de-hedging to provide meaningful demand is becoming increasingly limited.

http://www.yourminingnews.com/news_item.php?newsID=29217




Toro joins Mega in uranium mine race

11th April 2009, 6:00 WST

Toro Energy has joined Mega Uranium in the race to become WA’s first uranium producer after lodging a mining lease application over its Wiluna project.

The application covers the Lake Way deposit, which forms part of its 100 per cent-owned Wiluna uranium project where it has a 23.9 million pound resource.

Toro managing director Greg Hall said the lease application was intended to provide certainty of tenure, with the company still needing to apply separately for a formal mining licence if it decided to develop the mine.

The move comes after Mega made history earlier this year by lodging the first mining lease application over a would-be uranium project since the State Government lifted the controversial six-year ban on mining the nuclear fuel in November.

Mega hopes to develop its Lake Maitland project in the Eastern Goldfields, which is the fifth-biggest known in WA.

The deposit is thought to be worth between $1.3 billion and $4.6 billion, depending on the uranium price.

It also follows talk that BHP Billiton may be accelerating development of its Yeelirrie uranium project in the Goldfields after it met local stakeholders this week to discuss any concerns they might have.

BHP restarted work on the project after the ban was lifted. Yeelirrie, between Wiluna and Leinster, is the biggest calcrete deposit in the world.

Toro, which kicked off a preliminary drilling campaign at Wiluna this month, said it would continue to drill its Lake Way and Centipede deposits to boost the project’s resource.

Toro expects to make a decision about whether to start a definitive feasibility study in the second half of this year. The company has suggested it could be ready to start mine construction as early as the second half of 2010. Shares in Toro climbed 1.5¢ to 17¢ on Thursday on the news.
KATE EMERY

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=3&ContentID=135597

How illegal mining is fuelling DRC conflict


Many different minerals are mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo
In the last decade, more than five million people have been killed in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The country's fabulous mineral resources, and the battle to control them, goes some way towards explaining why fighting has continued for so long there.
The BBC's World Affairs Correspondent Mark Doyle reports on how illegal mining is fuelling the conflict.
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Last year, a special group set up by the UN Security Council to look into mining in Congo wrote a report detailing the FDLR's mining operations.
Newshour's Owen Bennett-Jones spoke to the former chair of the group, Jason Stearns, who told him about the report's findings.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/news/2009/04/090409_drc_mining_nh_sl.shtml

Opinion: Mining exploration in Vietnam: China's new strategy of expansionism

Posted: 04/10/2009 05:12:22 PM PDT
Updated: 04/10/2009 05:15:31 PM PDT


Not content with leaving its imprint in the Parcel Islands, Vietnam's northern provinces and the Spratly Islands, China is now resorting to mineral exploration in the country itself as a new strategy in its relentless expansionism.
In November 2007, Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung reportedly approved China's large-scale project to mine aluminum ore, or bauxite, in the Central Highlands in exchange for financial aid. The decision of the Communist Party triggered a torrent of criticisms and objections from scientists, intellectuals and military leaders.
The project's opponents voiced concerns about the disastrous effects of mining on the environment, the uprooting of local ethnic Montagnards and, more important, the de facto Chinese occupation of the strategic Central Highlands.
In an open letter to Dung, Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap, North Vietnam's famed war hero, asked that the aluminum ore mining plan be postponed until international scientists had a chance to study its impacts on the environment.
Despite the outcry, mining operations by China's Chalco Group began in 2008.
According to the Mineral Information Institute, bauxite is first processed into aluminum oxide, which is then refined into aluminum by energy-intensive electrolysis.
According to Nguyen Thuy Trang, a United Nations official in charge of a program to protect the environment in Africa, bauxite conversion into aluminum oxide generates two toxic chemicals
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known as "red dust" and "red mud." Red dust inflames the lungs and can cause cancer of the respiratory system. Red mud, an iron-rich residue, can harm the reproductive system and cause birth defects.
It is estimated that the production of one ton of aluminum requires four tons of bauxite and releases three tons of carcinogenic red mud. In the long run, toxic chemicals would foul waterways in the Central Highlands and damage the flatland ecology of the Mekong Delta.
Moreover, the destruction of forests and cropland to make room for the mining operations and the establishment of camps and villages for the Chinese workers would displace indigenous tribes, leading to the irreparable loss of their culture and way of life.
The presence of Chinese workers and soldiers in the strategic Central Highlands constitutes a serious threat to Vietnam's national security, critics say.
"We know that China has established a strong naval base in Hai Nam," wrote Gen. Nguyen Tan Vinh, former Vietnam ambassador to Beijing, in a letter to the members of the Politburo. "In the north of our country there is a strong naval base, in our west there is a fully equipped army base, thus what will happen to the independence, sovereignty for which we have traded millions of lives and a lot of bones and blood?"
Vietnamese military leaders have every reason to be concerned. The Central Highlands is geographically important. It is a natural gateway that would allow Chinese forces, using a large pincers movement, to cut the country in half or to threaten the southern part of the country.
In 1975, former President Nguyen Van Thieu's unfortunate decision to abandon Pleiku and Kontum in the Central Highlands allowed North Vietnamese generals to execute deep envelopments in the South, resulting in the quick collapse of ARVN forces.
According to news reports, China's Chalco Group, which is mining bauxite in Vietnam, reported heavy losses in 2008. The company said the losses were due to earthquakes and snowstorms in China, the global economic crisis, and a drop in prices for metallic products in the global market. The company said it expects more losses in 2009.
Beijing does not appear to be dissuaded by financial setbacks in its mineral exploration, however, as bauxite mining may be, after all, simply a cover for a larger sinister scheme.



Thi Lam is the author of "The Twenty-Five Year Century: A South Vietnamese General Remembers the Indochina War to the Fall of Saigon". He wrote this article for New America Media.

http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_12118220?nclick_check=1

CISA denies report of falling domestic iron ore production
Saturday, 11 Apr 2009
According to Mr Shan Shanghua secretary general of China Iron & Steel Association that China's domestic iron ore production continues to grow and benchmark ore price should fall along with the spot price.

Mr Shan said that domestic iron ore output has not fallen back as reported, and the data shows that the production tonnage has even risen 14% in the first two months. Over 50% of the big ore mines in China are owned by leading steel mills. And these state-owned big mines are not cutting back production. He said that "We would factor in the production cost of domestic mills in settling down the contract ore price and the interests of domestic ore mines as well. Excessive price cut of ore imports would also weigh on domestic spot ore price."

Mr Shan said foreign leading ore miners still have greasy profit margin despite spot price collapse since their fob cost stands merely at USD 20 per tonne. Therefore, contract ore price is set to fall along with the spot market.

According to a April 8 report, China imported a record 51 million tonnes of iron ore in March. And spot iron ore prices are quoted below Chinese local prices because of falling freight rates and rising domestic mining costs, forcing around 70% of China's mining capacity out of operation. This might further spur demand for ore import.

http://steelguru.com/news/index/2009/04/11/ODk5MDU%3D/CISA_denies_report_of_falling_domestic_iron_ore_production.html

Indigenous activisits protest gold mine expansion

Last Updated: 12 hours 25 minutes ago
In Australia, indigenous campaigners are holding a weekend-long protest to try to force the closure of a gold mine in central New South Wales.

The Barrick gold corporation has been fighting a legal battle to expand its mine.

Anti-mine protesters from around Australia have travelled to the site to join native title applicants, who've been fighting against the mine for 10 years.

Local indigenous spokesman Neville Chappy Williams says the mine is desecrating sacred land.

"It's our ancient cultural heritage that we're fighting for," he says.

"We're taking the fight for all peoples, because it's going to affect all peoples, and it's going to leave a legacy of destruction."

He says it's painful to see what's happening at the mine. "What I've said many times, don't desecrate our Dreaming place, don't mine our sacred site."
http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/stories/200904/2540826.htm?desktop

Mining – India

POSCO says seeks 50 pct cut in iron ore prices
Fri Apr 10, 2009 3:36am EDT

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SEOUL, April 10 (Reuters) - South Korea's POSCO (005490.KS), the world's No.4 steelmaker, said on Friday it was seeking a 50 percent cut in contract iron ore prices for the year started on April 1.
"The price gap is quite wide as miners are demanding a 20 percent reduction but we believe it has to go down by at least 50 percent from the 2008/09 level, as steel market conditions are very poor... We want to conclude the deal during April," POSCO vice president Kwon Young-tae, in charge of raw material procurement, told analysts and reporters. (Reporting by Miyoung Kim; Editing by Jonathan Hopfner)

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSSEO32801720090410

Tata Steel to begin production in South Africa next year
11 Apr 2009, 0948 hrs IST, PTI

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KOLKATA: World's sixth largest steel producer Tata Steel said it will begin production at Sedibang mine in South Africa from next year.



"A small iron ore mine at Sedibang in South Africa will begin production next year. We would get two million tonnes per annum," Tata Steel managing director B Muthuraman said.

The company is currently focussing on South Africa and Canada and looking at coal blocks in Mozambique, Muthuraman said.

The Sedibang mine has a reserve of 50 million tonnes of iron ore, while the Canadian iron ore mines are likely to have a reserve of 100 million tonne.

"The strategy is to focus at small mines where the investment would be low and large mines where no investment would be needed in next few years," Muthuraman said.

The coal block in Mozambique, in which Tata Steel has 35% stake, is under exploratory stage and the reserve is pegged at 2.1 billion tonne.

Meanwhile, Tata Steel MD said the company is in discussion with Tata Motors to supply flat steel products for the world's cheapest car 'Nano'.


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Business/Tata-Steel-to-begin-production-in-South-Africa-next-year-/articleshow/4388007.cms
Zimbabwe: Chiadzwa Diamonds Banned
10 April 2009
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Harare — THE World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) has banned trade in rough diamonds originating from Zimbabwe except those certified by the Kimberley Process, The Financial Gazette heard this week.
Last week, the WFDB called on members to take all measures necessary to ensure they do not trade in diamonds originating from Zimbabwe.
This follows reports of violations of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) by illegal diamond panners.
"The WFDB and its membership worldwide are committed to do all it can to prevent conflict diamonds from Zimbabwe or from any other source, for that matter, to be traded by our members," said WFDB president Avi Paz in a statement issued from Antwerp, Belgium.
"As founding members of the World Diamond Council and as signatories to the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, it is our duty to remind not only our own members, but all those who operate in the diamond industry and trade of the devastating impact of conflicts fuelled by the trade in conflict diamonds on the peace, safety and security of people in affected countries, and the systematic and gross human rights violations that have been perpetrated in such conflicts," the WFDB president said.
"The WFDB and its member bourses have a cast-iron rule that rough diamonds can only be traded when they are accompanied by KP certificates," Paz stated. "Any bourse member who trades in rough diamonds without KP certification is liable for expulsion from this bourse, which in all practical terms, means the exclusion from the entire diamond business community," Paz concluded.
Founded in 1947, the WFDB unites diamond exchanges under one roof to provide a common set of practices for bourses trading in rough and polished diamonds, as well as coloured stones.
But the origins of the WFDB actually date back to 1946 when Jack Sigman, the then president, held discussions in Antwerp about creating a vehicle that would look out for the collective interests of the diamond trade.
The inaugural meeting of the WFDB took place in Antwerp in July 1947, at what today is recognised as the premiere World Diamond Congress.
The ability of the WFDB to react to changing conditions in the market has, since 1947, provided the diamond sector with an ability to act decisively and in unison, despite the great distances between the various manufacturing and trading centres. This is almost to ensure that the world federation remains the industry's most important representative body for years to come.
Paz said comprehensive data, descriptions and photographs of the rough diamonds mined at the Marange deposits have been widely circulated by the Working Group of Diamond Experts of the Kimberley Process, making identification of these illicit diamonds easier.
The warning issued by the WFDB does not pertain to diamonds mined at the Murowa deposit in Zimbabwe, since the production from this source is in compliance with the Kimberley Process.
There has been a strong push worldwide to ban trade in diamonds originating from Zimbabwe following reports of rampant illegal goal mining at the diamond fields in Chiadzwa, Marange.
Last month a team from the Kimberley Process visited the country on a fact-finding mission seeking, among other issues, to establish whether mass murders occurred in Marange late last year during a crackdown by security forces on illegal diamond mining.
Government has since responded by restoring order at the fields and allowing the state-run Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) to extract the resource on its behalf.
• Government officials were quoted recently saying that the Chiadzwa operation was realising 50 000 to 60 000 carats per week and might produce diamonds worth US$60 000 a day if state-of-the-art mining equipment
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor, Gideon Gono, has previously bemoaned the lack of adequate equipment at ZMDC, describing its diamond mining methods as "mechanised gold panning".
"We are processing applications from companies that are interested in cutting and polishing diamonds," Mines Minister Obert Mpofu was quoted saying.
Government seized the Chiadzwa diamond claim from British-based Africa Consolidated Resources in 2007.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200904100726.html

Rio Tinto moots hanging on to minerals division

Jamie Freed
April 11, 2009
RIO TINTO, which has continued to sell non-core assets despite a proposed $US19.5 billion ($30 billion) investment deal with Chinalco, is reportedly considering whether to abandon a long-running auction for its industrial minerals business.
Rio has been trying to sell its borates and talcs business - worth an estimated $US1 billion - despite a huge downturn in the markets for those minerals as a result of weak global economic conditions.
In its fourth quarter figures, Rio said borates production had fallen 27 per cent compared with the third quarter and talc production by 6 per cent "in line with reduced economic activity across all major regions".
Reuters reported yesterday that Rio had received several proposals for the businesses and had rejected some because they undervalued the units but that it was looking at others. Some offered to buy parts of the operation, and Rio was reportedly likely to decide on whether to proceed with any offers in the coming weeks.
Rio has also been trying to sell its Alcan packaging unit, which has been on the market for at least two years. Amcor has disclosed it is considering a bid for part of the business.
On Thursday Royal Bank of Scotland said Amcor could bid $US2 billion for the food packaging business or $US2.2 billion for food packaging in Europe, tobacco, pharmaceutical and medical packaging.
RBS estimated the entire packaging business was worth $US3.9 billion, reflecting that Rio was in effect a forced seller in a tough operating environment. The global head of Alcan packaging, Ilene Gordon, resigned from the company this week.
An analyst for RBS, Richard Johnson, said the recent rally in Amcor's share price and the need for Rio to raise capital "should mean the odds on a successful deal are relatively short".
Rio failed to sell $US10 billion of assets by the end of last year to help pay off debt associated with its acquisition of Alcan in 2007.
In an interview with Canadian Business published this week, Dick Evans, the former head of Alcan and later Rio's aluminium division, said recent production cuts at Alcan would have been made whether or not Rio had paid $US38.7 billion for it in the largest mining takeover deal in history.
"Aluminium prices are down sharply," he said. "I think there's no connection to the Rio Tinto debt. If we knew what we know today, we would have termed out the Alcan debt, accelerated asset sales and got our balance sheet in better shape."
Mr Evans will resign from the Rio board after its annual meeting in Sydney on April 20. He could receive a cash bonus of up to $US9.6 million this year. Last year he received $US1.35 millio
http://business.smh.com.au/business/rio-tinto-moots-hanging-on-to-minerals-division-20090410-a2ut.html


Home Page - Economy
Agri-Biz & Commodities – Commodities

Inflation rate declines on cheaper minerals

Wholesale Price Index for all commodities at 227.3.
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In the Food Articles group, inflation was stable at 6.3 per cent.
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Our Bureau
New Delhi, April 9 The annual Wholesale Price Index-based inflation rose 0.26 per cent during the week ended March 28, marginally lower than the previous week’s annual rise of 0.31 per cent. The dip during the latest reported week was primarily on account of lower year-on-year inflation level in the Primary Articles group, especially minerals, according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Thursday.
The inflation rate was recorded at a much higher 7.75 per cent during the corresponding week of the previous year. During the latest week, the official WPI for ‘All Commodities’ remained unchanged at its previous week’s level of 227.3 points.
Primary articles
On a disaggregated basis, the Primary Articles group inflation declined to 3.5 per cent in the week under reference, from 3.9 per cent in the previous week. In the Food Articles group, inflation was stable at 6.3 per cent. In non-food Articles, inflation eased to (-) 0.1 per cent compared with (-) 1.1 per cent last week. In ‘minerals’, the steep decline in inflation to (-) 13 per cent in the current week followed a steady run of a rate of (-) 1.2 per cent for five consecutive weeks commencing from February 14.
Fuel, power
In ‘fuel and power’, inflation continued steady at (-) 6.1 per cent in the current week. In ‘manufactured products’, the year-on-year inflation rate increased slightly to 1.4 per cent in the current week, from 1.3 per cent last week. This was despite a dip of inflation in textiles, chemicals and chemical products, machinery and machine tools and transport equipment and parts. Inflation in the combined food index (which has a weightage of 25.43 per cent in the overall index) for the latest reported week decreased to 5.8 per cent compared to 6.0 per cent last week.
According to a Finance Ministry statement, average annual inflation is assessed at 8.4 per cent (provisionally) in 2008-09 versus 4.7 per cent in 2007-08, while the average monthly inflation in March 2009 is like-wise provisionally at just 0.7 per cent as against 7.5 per cent in March 2008.
For the week ended January 31, the final WPI for ‘All Commodities’ stood at 227.5 points as compared to the provisional estimate of 228.4 points and annual rate of inflation based on final index, calculated on point to point basis, stood at 3.98 per cent as compared to 4.39 per cent.
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/04/10/stories/2009041051130700.htm

Coking coal prices, quality are not competitive enough globally

Q&A: partha S bhattacharyya, Chairman, CIL
Margaret Williams / Mumbai April 11, 2009, 0:21 IST

Coal India (CIL), one of the largest coal companies in the world with reserves of 287 million tonnes of coking and non-coking coal, has charted out a growth path with focus on acquisitions. In an interview with Margaret Williams, Chairman Partha S Bhattacharyya talks about various issues, including the roadmap for the company, coal prices in a volatile commodity market etc.
In the wake of a decline in raw material prices, do you see any price revision for coal in near future?
It’s difficult to comment on this issue at this point of time as prices keep fluctuating.
Further, CIL’s thermal coal prices are very low compared to international prices, so there is no question of reducing prices now. Even after the meltdown, our coal is 50-60 per cent cheaper compared to international prices.
In terms of coking coal, our prices are comparable with international prices for long-term contracts. Since our coking coal quality is not good, so our prices are not competitive.
With a correction in prices of coal properties (mines), is this the right time to buy them?
Definitely this is a good time to buy coal properties. Though there has not been much of a correction in prices of unlisted coal properties, the share prices of listed coal property firms have come down substantially.
Still, those properties accompanied with a lot of legal, technical and due diligence issues may not be a good buy.
CIL has engaged its wholly owned subsidiary Central Mine Planning & Design Institute (CMPDIL) to examine the viability of 77 projects due to the implementation of the National Coal Wage Agreement, which is likely to cause a financial burden of about Rs 1,800 crore? What is the status now?
Costs have gone up because of the wage increase. As a result, viability of the projects is being reassessed. Many of the projects seem to be unviable till prices are revised. The report is expected within 2-3 months.
We have to do a rethink over unviable projects. But we also have a committed target to produce 520 million tonnes. So we have to keep an eye on the target as well as costs.
By 2011-12, a demand-supply gap of 200 million tonnes is expected. How do you expect to meet it?
According to current statistics, there will be a gap of 230 million tonnes. Scaling up our production in the country is a difficult proposition. Buying land for exploration is a problem, then there are a host of clearances like forest, environment required.
A large number of our projects are still awaiting environment clearances. I have asked for mapping all the go and no-go areas in forests with proven reserves, but that is yet to be worked out.
The importance of coal in providing energy security and as a growth driver have to be appreciated by various quarters. Once this is done, the process of clearances will expedite, leading to more coal production.
Our coal minister has visited three states and emphasised on the need to expedite these issues, especially clearances, so that more projects could be taken up. Sensitisation efforts are going on.
In the backdrop of the present backlog, I don’t see the possibility of further increasing domestic production. Whatever we have to do, we have to do it abroad. Either through imports, which needs to be further supplemented with mining over there. So there is an urgency to acquire mines.
Mining abroad and bringing coal to India is not easy. In the case of Mozambique, we don’t expect coal to come before 4-5 years.
What kind of mines you are planning to acquire?
For Coal Videsh, we are keeping our options open for buying either operational or exploratory mines. Primarily, we will be looking for mines which are unexplored because those are usually cheap. We are making efforts to locate properties with substantial yield.
The price gap between explored and unexplored mines is very attractive to make us pitch for unexplored blocks.
What is the company’s focus this year?
In the current financial year, we are focussing on two things — eco-friendly mining and corporate social responsibility. We will focus more on eco-friendly mining and focus on environmental and socially sustainable operations.
Our rehabilitation policy has been revised in 2008. We are open to further changes. It is reasonably okay and the only problem is about land pricing. Others of market prices for land acquisition, but what we approach the district collector. Apart from paying the price, we offer a lot of other benefits. Still we are facing problems. We need a foolproof system, so that we are able to achieve a transparent price discovery mechanism.
Another thing, we don’t want to make a lumpsum payment to land owners because they are not competent enough to invest their money properly for a secured future. What is needed is to ensure steady flow of income.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/coking-coal-prices-qualitynot-competitive-enough-globally/354712/


Tata Steel aims at 20% growth

Apr 11 2009 0933 hrs IST , Kolkata


Tags: India, Tata Steel, Industry By Ritwik Mukherjee
There are some signs of recovery and the steel market in India is expected to grow by 4-5 per cent in 2010. Tata Steel, the leading steel maker in the country, on its parts, is gearing up to achieve a production and sales growth of 20 per cent in 2010. While in India the company is focusing on this sales growth, its European operation is concentrating on increase its saving from 640-650 million pound to 1 billion pound in the next year. This was disclosed by Tata Steel Managing Director, B Muthuraman, while addressing a press conference here on Friday.
The company is also working on to strengthen its sourcing base for Corus and European operations by way of starting mining operations in South Africa, Canada and Mozambique, Muthuraman said.
The Tata Steel MD, who was here to talk about the company’s best ever hot metal production performance, said, “The impact of global recession was much less in countries like India and China, anyways and Tata Steel, on its parts, took some early steps to withstand the downturn. Now there are some signs of revival and we expect the steel market to grow by 4-5 per cent in the next year. And we have set a target of increasing our production and sales by 20 per cent in 2010 through being more competitive, customer-oriented and some other means.”
The company is also well set to begin its Orissa project once the elections are over and iron ore allotment by the state government is made. It has meanwhile placed orders for some of its equipments, set up fabrication shop on the site, soil testing has also been done, he said.
Responding to volley of queries, Muthuraman said, “Strengthening souring base for Corus and our European operations is an ongoing process. We have acquired some iron ore mines in South Africa and Canada and a coal block in Mozambique. We hope to begin mining operations at Sedibang, South Africa, which will give us 2 million tonne iron ores, in 2010 while mining operations in Canada will begin in 2011. We will get 4-5 million tonne per year from the Canadian mining operations.”

http://www.mydigitalfc.com/industry/tata-steel-aims-20-cent-growth-512


CPI against mining lease to private companies

BS Reporter / Kolkata/ Bhubaneswar April 11, 2009, 0:13 IST

The CPI which has entered into a seat sharing arrangement with the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) ahead of the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in Orissa has opposed the allotment of mineral resources to companies on lease in its manifesto.
The party has instead suggested that the companies need to purchase the minerals at market rates and the mineral resources in the state should be under the control of the Orissa Mining Corporation.

The CPI manifesto was released on Friday by Diwakar Naik, state secretary of the party. Towing the line of CPI (M), the party has ruled out the possibility of joining a BJD led government in the state after the elections.

The CPI has taken exception to the proposed captive port project of Posco India and has suggested that the company can carry out its operations through the Paradeep port in the state. The party has also demanded that the Posco project should be shifted to another location on a consensus basis.

Orissa being primarily an agrarian state, the party has stressed on the balanced development of agriculture and industry in the state. The CPI has also called for measures for development of agriculture and strengthening of the irrigation system. The party in its manifesto has also underscored the need for development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and pointed out that efforts should be made for re-opening of all factories that have been shut in the state.

The manifesto has also called for effective implementation of labour laws, fulfillment of legitimate demands of the workers and granting the status of government employees to the Anganwadi workers. Concerned over the growing frequency of floods that have hit Orissa in the past few years, the CPI has recommended a Master Plan to suggest effective preventive and remedial measures for the problem.

Among the other measures recommended by the party in its manifesto include filling up of all vacant posts in Orissa within one year, strengthening of the public distribution system, setting up of a hospital in every gram panchayat and hike in education budget.

Other News


Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam


NEAA to hear bauxite petition on April 21

Santosh Patnaik
VISAKHAPATNAM: Even as bauxite mining in the scheduled areas of the district has generated a lot of heat during electioneering, the National Environment Appellate Authority (NEAA) has posted for hearing to April 21 a petition filed by Samata seeking a stay on environmental clearance granted to bauxite mining in four blocks of Jerrila.
Samata, an NGO which fights for the rights of tribals, questioned the rationale behind environmental clearance given by the Ministry of Environment and Forest to AP Mineral Development Corporation to mine bauxite in four blocks without a public hearing in Orissa where eight villages will be affected due to mining.
It also raised objections for not holding public hearing at Chintapalle on October 3, 2008 in a transparent manner. NEAA had quashed the environmental clearance accorded to Polavaram last year on the basis of appeal submitted by Samata. At that time, it had also objected to not holding public hearing at the project-affected areas of Orissa. The issue is now sub judice with the AP High Court issuing a stay.
Samata executive director Rebbapragada Ravi told The Hindu that the clearance given to mining in four blocks of Jerrila was not proper as it was based on Environment Impact Assessment report which had studied impact of mining in only one block comprising 85 hectares – 7.3 per cent of area approved for mining.
The petition points out that there is no mining plan in three other blocks of Jerrila. The total area proposed for mining is spread over 1162 hectares in GK Veedhi mandal.
The public hearing was not held either in the project-affected villages or in the vicinity to enable the tribals to attend in large numbers. Instead, it was conducted at Chintapalle and the public transport was suspended undemocratically, the petition says.
According to the petition, the EIA for block-1 admitted the need for cumulative assessment on impact of mining stating: “The Jerilla block-I EIA specifically admitted the need for cumulative assessment, stating that “Mining will be carried out in comparatively small area of 85 Ha in block-1 but impact has to be assessed holistically as there are different blocks for mining.”
The petition says the EIA did not address impact of mobile crusher unit with a capacity of 600 to 700 tonnes per hour with annual production capacity of 500,000 tonnes on an average.
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http://www.hindu.com/2009/04/10/stories/2009041054580500.htm

NHRC admits human rights case lodged by law student

Ahmedabad Acting upon a complaint lodged on the basis of the news report, ‘Minor shot dead in Jharkhand, locals blame police’, published in The Indian Express on March 21, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has admitted the case (No. 10/34/0/09-10), while conceding that prima facie it seemed to be a violation of human rights.
Praveen Kejriwal, the complainant, who is a tenth semester student of Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar, and a domicile of Godda District in Jharkhand, said, “After reading the news report, where I found there had been a gross violation of human rights by the state agency (namely, the police), I approached the NHRC on March 23, and on April 8, the commission informed me that the case has been admitted.”

The aforementioned news item had revealed that a minor boy had been killed in police firing on the morning of March 20, 2009 in Khunti district of Jharkhand. The incident occurred around six in the morning when 13-year-old Budhram Munda and his 14-year-old friend Etwa Purti were plucking mahua flowers in a forest in Khunti district.

While Munda died on the spot, Purti’s was admitted to the Ranchi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in a critical condition. Though the source of the bullets was contentious, Purti had alleged that he had been injured in police firing. He said, “We saw policemen get down from the jeep and open indiscriminate fire on us.”

Meanwhile, the police, as reported, accepted that a team engaged in anti-naxal operations had gone to the village where the said incident had occurred on that fateful morning but denied that any firing had taken place.

When Prabhat Kumar, Superintendent of Police, Khunti, was asked about the NHRC’s admission of case, he expressed ignorance about the issue.

However, he added, “We have carried out an inter-departmental enquiry, in which we examined the arms carried by the police team on that day and have also sought expert opinion. The enquiry committee has acquitted the concerned police team of any wrong,” Kumar added.

He further added that the People’s Liberation Front of India, a Naxal organisation active in that district may have fired on the minors to malign the police.”

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/nhrc-admits-human-rights-case-lodged-by-law-student/445707/


Civil society unhappy with manifestos
10 Apr 2009, 0352 hrs IST, TNN

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NEW DELHI: Gone are the days when political parties could dish out any promise in their party manifestos. Today, citizens want to not only

scrutinise each item in the manifesto but want their genuine concerns to be incorporated in the manifestos and also want to hold parties accountable for their implementation.

`Wada Na Todo Abhiyan', spearheaded by a group of activists, NGOs and prominent civil society members, who have scrutinised the manifestos of major political parties, find them (parties) not serious about it as they have brought out their documents barely 2-3 weeks before elections. The Abhiyan claims that often genuine issues of people are not reflected in the manifestos.

The fact that parties released their manifestos barely two weeks before the elections indicated they were not serious about ensuring an extensive debate and civic engagement with their political agenda, said Abhiyan spokesperson Lysa John. "No party has talked of enacting a law to protect citizen's right to quality, affordable health services," she said. She also pointed out that "HIV/AIDS has found no mention in any party's manifesto".

Again no manifesto talks of tackling the problem of human rights violations or corruption, said Suhas Chakma from NGO Asian Centre of Human Rights. Kuldeep Mathur, a retired JNU professor, pointed out that all political parties spoke about providing "good governance, without explaining what it means".

He said in reality governance is not a prerogative of only the government. It also involved other players like the civil society. Hence, in a democracy, active participation of citizens in governance was essential, he stressed.


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Civil-society-unhappy-with-manifestos/articleshow/4382036.cms


Oppn to Posco, outside support to Govt on list


CPI State general secretary Dibakar Nayak (centre) along with party workers during the release of party manifesto in Bhubaneswar on Friday
Express News Service
First Published : 11 Apr 2009 03:56:25 AM IST
Last Updated : 11 Apr 2009 01:07:05 PM IST
BHUBANESWAR: Its alliance with the BJD in the ensuing Lok Sabha and Assembly polls notwithstanding, the CPI has come out with its own agenda clashing with all that the Naveen Patnaik-led Government has striven for in its nine-year reign.
Releasing its manifesto, the party said that the opposition to the mega steel plant project of Korean steel major Posco at Jagatsinghpur would continue. The Posco project should be shifted from the existing site instead of uprooting locals. The CPI has extended active support to the Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti at Dhinkia, Nuagaon and Gadakujanga areas and would do so in future too, State general secretary Dibakar Nayak said.
The company should not be allowed to have a captive port. No mines should be allotted and it should source raw materials from the open market, he added.
The party, in a clear indication of playing safe, announced that it would not join the Government in the event the alliance is voted to power and rather extend outside support to it.
Incidentally, the CPI is at the heart of the electoral battle at ground zero by contesting the Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha constituency for the alliance along with the Assembly segments of Chhatrapur, Sanakhemundi, Champua, Brajarajnagar and Soro.
The manifesto is sharp on the mining policy of the Government and favours takeover of all mines and reserves by the State-owned Orissa Mining Corporation. No mining lease should be allowed and all industries should purchase ores from the open market.
It promises to seek a roll back of economic reforms by a thorough review of public enterprise reforms initiated by the State Government.
The power sector should be freed from private companies and put in the hands of a revived Orissa State Electricity Board, it says.
The manifesto emphasises giving a thrust to irrigation as a public initiative and stopping commercialisation of water supply.
It would strive for establishment of two benches of the High Court in western and southern Orissa respectively. The Western Orissa Development Council should be accorded autonomy along with economic powers on the lines of the Darjeeling Hills Council, Nayak said.

Environmentalists oppose SEZ’s, large hydro, mining in Himalayas

on Apr 10th, 2009 in Business, News. Follow comments via RSS 2.0.

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Shimla: In the din of elections, environmentalists have converged to draw attention of political parties towards issues confronting livelihood patterns that are getting affected by global warming, displacement of people because of construction of large projects and because of land acquisition laws.
Participating at a two-day Save Himalaya conference-cum-demonstration at Bilaspur, noted environmentalist Medha Pathkar choose to draw attention to the plight of Bhakra Dam displaced people.
“Courts and governments justify displacement for setting up big dams and cite Bhakra as an example about how local communities stand benefited but reality of the dam affected is shocking, which rest of the country needs to know,” she said.
“Bhakra Dam – the country’s first ‘modern temple’ has only tales of sorrow to tell,” said Pathkar, as people displaced over six decades ago narrated their ongoing struggle for a dignified living.
RS Negi of the Kinnaur Him Lok Jagriti Manch in his presentation highlighted how power companies with tactical support from governments were grossly violating tribal laws in a region that has scare arable land.
Guman Singh, convener Himalayan Nithi Abhiyan called for a concentrated bid from all environmentalist bodies to stall polices that encroach upon natives rights, displace them and damage the environment.
The tree-hugging chipko movement environmentalist Sundar Lal Bahuguna sought a forestry and water resources conservation based development model for entire the Himlayan region. He said mining was damaging mountain ecology and people’s lives.
Gagret based Narinder Parmar of the Matru Bhoomi Sangarsh Samiti where a SEZ is proposed said that the residents were not willing to part with their ancestral lands. He said 14 villages face displacement should the special zone come up.
Opposing the large scale Himalayan Ski Village tourism project in Manali, Pushpal Parmar said that the such large tourism project were harmful and was being resisted by the valley residents who had even held a conclave of local Devta’s to mark their opposition.
Hundreds of people affected by dams, mines, river diversions, urbanization and large industry project have assembled at Bilaspur who along with environmentalists are to prepare a people’s manifesto to be presented to political parties. The conference held specific sessions on displaced people, large hydro power projects, SEZ’s and Himalayan Ski Village
Major issues pertained to rehabilitation of Pong, Pandoh and Bhakra Dam displaced people, scrapping of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894; evaluation of environmental and social impacts of hydro-power projects, scrapping of the SEZs and special tourism zones, a complete halt on mining and mine-based industries and strict implementation of Section 118 of the Himachal Land Reforms Act.
http://himachal.us/2009/04/10/environmentalists-oppose-sez’s-large-hydro-mining-in-himalayas/12472/news/sanjay