Mining – India 1
1. Over 250 coal mines are in forest land in India 1
2. Another CBI case against Western Coalfield Limited men 2
3. Anantpur mine boundaries: MoEF seeks more time 2
4. India to expedite Posco’s iron-ore-mining licence 3
5. Kamat assures to ban illegal mines in Goa 5
6. Unions question investment in closed mines 6
Mining – International 7
7. Feature: An investment called mining 7
8. Usiminas sees EBITDA margins rising on mining 10
9. Rio Tinto, Guinea Spar Over Mining Rights 10
10. Miner Told to Remove Equipment, Cede Half of Mineral-Rich Area 10
11. SA Chamber of Mines tables final wage offer 12
12. Committee on human right abuses in Mining areas 13
Other News 13
13. 'Govt Committed To Control Corruption In NREGS' 13
14. Bhutan committed to improving the status of women' 14
15. Gender budget for women empowerment in Uttarakhand 15
16. Genetic Analysis Reveals Aborigines May Have Originated From India 15
17. Implementation status of Forest Rights Act 16
18. Development of Primitive Tribes Groups 17
19. Legislation for real estate 18
20. States advised to serve hot cooked meal at Anganwadis 18
21. President inaugurates Rashtrapati Bhavan Helpline Portal 18
Mining – India
Over 250 coal mines are in forest land in India
Friday, 24 Jul 2009
IANS reported that 250 proposals to divert 50,818 hectares of protected forest land have been approved by the government since the forest (conservation) Act was passed in 1980.
Mr Jairam Ramesh minister of State for Environment and Forests informed the Rajya Sabha that the maximum amount of protected forest land, 12,579.12 hectares had been diverted for coal mining in Chhattisgarh followed by Andhra Pradesh (12,709.62 hectares), Madhya Pradesh (10,980.37), Jharkhand (7,545.33), Orissa (2,899.99), Uttar Pradesh (1,984.83) and Maharashtra (1,815.09).
(Sourced from IANS)
http://steelguru.com/news/index/2009/07/24/MTAzNjc5/Over_250_coal_mines_are_in_forest_land_in_India.html
Another CBI case against Western Coalfield Limited men
TNN 24 July 2009, 06:20am IST
NAGPUR: Anti-corruption wing of Central Bureau of Investigation, Nagpur branch, has booked two officials of Western Coalfield Limited for their
alleged involvement in misappropriation of coal stock at Kumbharkhei mines of Wani North on Wednesday.
In a span of about three days, CBI has booked 10 WCL officials and a clerk in three different cases uncovering scams to the tune of about Rs 12 crore. In all, 11 cases have been registered as CBI conitnued to crack a whip on malpractices in WCL mines.
Following the registration of the crime, searches were conducted at the homes and offices of the booked officials -- sub-area manager Y Tiwari and superintendent of mines (Kumbharkheni mines) Sanjiv Aggrawal.
CBI sleuths, under supervision of additional superintendent of police Manoj Pangarkar, had conducted surprise checks at the mine. The squad, comprising senior inspectors R S Khujur, M S Patil, Jai Damle and sub-inspector KK Singh, had found that the coal stock shown as 57,000 tonnes in records was actually 32,000 tonnes short. Coal worth around Rs 5.50 crore was found missing.
CBI officials are learnt to have collected clinching evidence in the case.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/City/Nagpur/Another-CBI-case-against-WCL-men/articleshow/4813541.cms
Anantpur mine boundaries: MoEF seeks more time
Tannu SharmaTags : Andhra Pradesh, Anantpur, Janardhan ReddyPosted: Friday , Jul 24, 2009 at 0319 hrsNew Delhi:
The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests on Thursday told the Supreme Court that it would examine the Andhra Pradesh government’s survey of mines in Anantpur, bordering Karnataka, before taking a decision on demarcating boundaries of various private mines, among them those owned by Andhra Tourism and Infrastructure Development Minister G Janardhan Reddy’s Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC). Earlier this year, the Andhra Pradesh Lokayukta had found that the OMC, which has a mining lease in the state, had encroached upon the area belonging to Karnataka.
Attorney General G E Vahanvati and advocate Haris Beeran informed the Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan that the ministry would need some time to examine and analyse the report by Andhra government. On this, the Bench, also comprising Justice P Sathasivam and A K Ganguly, posted the matter for further hearing to August 24.
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Appearing for the Andhra government, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi had earlier informed the court that the state had already conducted the requisite survey of the mines in the region. The court was hearing a petition filed by Bellary Iron Ores Private Limited chairman S K Modi, who had prayed for directions to the ministry to conduct the survey within a particular time-frame.
Following the Lokayukta’s report, the Union ministry issued a notification in April suspending mining operations of five companies, including the one owned by Reddy. However, the minister refuted the report saying the Lokayukta had not said anything about encroachment by OMC and had just suggested that a survey be conducted by the Survey of India to solve the boundary dispute between mine owners along the state border.
In May, the MoEF had assured that a survey will be conducted within six weeks to demarcate the boundaries of various mining companies in Anantpur.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/anantpur-mine-boundaries-moef-seeks-more-time/493507/0
India to expedite Posco’s iron-ore-mining licence
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24th July 2009
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India will speed up the process of granting steelmaker Pohang Iron & Steel Company (Posco) an iron-ore-mining licence, seeking to end a four-year wait by the steelmaker to secure resources for its planned $12-billion venture in the country.
“We are looking into the matter and will get this done as soon as possible,” said Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh in early July, in New Delhi, while attending an industry conference. “We are working with the state government to expedite the matter.”
Land disputes and the delay in getting a mining licence prevented South Korea-based Posco from proceeding with one of India’s biggest foreign investments. Asia’s fifth-biggest steelmaker has yet to start building the 12-million-ton plant in the eastern state of Orissa. Work on the project, announced in June 2005, was scheduled to start in April 2007.
“We are hoping something good will happen,” said Posco India spokesperson Saroj Mahapatra.
The states of Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh account for 70% of India’s coal reserves and 55% of its iron-ore, according to consulting firm McKinsey & Co.
Posco faced opposition in Orissa as locals and political parties want the plant to be moved to nonarable areas away from farmlands.
Aid Construction
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in July last year told South Korean President Lee Myung Bak at a summit in Japan that he would help Posco start construction work on the plant in August, according to a statement posted on the website of South Korea’s Presidential office.
Initially, Posco will build a four-million- ton plant and set up a 400-MW power plant. The company has sought 600-million tons of iron-ore for the steel mill.
Posco joins steelmaker ArcelorMittal in seeking to expand in Asia, where steel demand is growing faster than in Europe and the US.
In October 2005, ArcelorMittal said it would set up a factory with a final capa- city of 12-million tons, in Jharkhand, and announced another plant of the same size in neighboring Orissa the following year.
Meanwhile, demand for steel recorded its sharpest decline since World War II, the World Steel Association said in April, and output is set to tumble 15% this year.
Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal said in April it would delay a $20-billion plan to build two factories in India. The world’s biggest steelmaker has slashed production by as much as 50% and shed jobs.
http://www.miningweekly.com/article/india-to-expedite-poscos-iron-ore-mining-license-2009-07-24
24 July 2009
VEDANTA BLOCKED BY TRIBAL PROTESTS AS INDIGENOUS RESISTANCE SPREADS WORLDWIDE
Repeated protests by tribal people in Orissa, India, have blocked the mining plans of one of Britain’s biggest companies, leading to a costly delay.
Anil Agarwal, billionaire chairman (and majority owner) of Vedanta Resources, announced in January that its massive bauxite mine in the Niyamgiri Hills would start ‘in a month or two’, but men and women of the Dongria Kondh tribe, furious at the planned destruction of their mountain top, have blocked roads and refused to allow the company’s diggers to pass.
Besides repeated protests by hundreds of Dongria Kondh and other Kondh tribespeople, Survival, Amnesty International, Action Aid, War on Want and numerous Indian activists have all condemned Vedanta’s planned mine. Survival has submitted an urgent appeal to the UN, and prompted an investigation by the British government.
Next week, for the first time, a Dongria Kondh representative will come to London to demand that Vedanta Resources leaves his homeland. He will join demonstrators outside Vedanta’s AGM in London on Monday:
Where: 18 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3ED
When: Monday 27th July 2009. Demonstration 1.30pm, AGM 3pm
The Dongria Kondh’s demonstrations are the latest in a wave of tribal protests against large-scale industrial projects which are destroying their homelands.
In Peru, tribal people have blockaded rivers with canoes to stop oil companies entering their territories. In Malaysia, Penan nomads are defying arrest to block logging roads and halt the destruction of their rainforest for oil palm plantations.
Survival’s Director Stephen Corry said today, ‘Tribal people find themselves in the frontline of a global battle against the wholesale destruction of the planet. While world leaders talk about stopping climate change, tribal people around the world are literally sitting in front of bulldozers – not just for them, but for all our sakes.’
To read this story online: http://www.survival-international.org/news/4783
Kamat assures to ban illegal mines in Goa
Updated on Friday, July 24, 2009, 14:48 IST
Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Digamber Kamat on Friday assured to ban illegal mines in the state after the Opposition continued their onslaught against state government's alleged protection to unauthorised mining.
Kamat said that the government would not entertain any illegal mines in Goa and hold respective state government department heads responsible, if they shield the illegalities.
Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar unleashing a volley of allegations against the state government backed by data castigated the Chief Minister for ignoring the illegal mining and said that almost 18 percent of ore exported was through illegal extraction.
Parrikar pointed out to the tabulated data tabled on the floor which clearly specified difference between the ore extracted and exported from the state.
"Why is the government not acting against the illegal mining?" the former Chief Minister questioned.
The Leader of Opposition alleged that the state government was hand in gloves with these offenders who disrespect state's fragile ecology.
Analysing the data, Parrikar said that revenue to the tune of Rs 700 crore was pumped in the state through illegal mining.
Parrikar contended that the high level committee constituted to investigate illegal mining has no teeth to act.
"They are just referring violations to concern ministries," he said.
http://www.zeenews.com/news549890.html
Unions question investment in closed mines
TNN 23 July 2009, 11:24pm IST
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SINDRI: Agitated over the closure of the Amlabad colliery and Bhoura coke plant under eastern Jharia area of BCCL, miners under the banner of the
joint front of trade unions organized a wrathful demonstration before the GM's office at Bhoura on Thursday.
Demanding the management to review its decision of closure, the union leaders threatened of an intensified agitation culminating into strike in the eastern Jharia area.
Addressing the gathering, Citu leader and convener of the joint front of trade unions of BCCL S K Bakshi charged the BCCL corporate management of conspiring to hand over the collieries with good reserve of quality coking coal to multinationals and private industrial houses.
Amlabad colliery has a huge reserve of steel grade coal and after the failure of the shaft guide rope, the management had given in writing that it would not close the colliery. But even after investing nearly Rs 1 crore on repair-maintenance job of the mine and Rs 50 lakh on the renovation of the Bhoura coke plant, the BCCL management's decision of closing it down is a clear-cut indication of the management policy of handing it over to private firms for minting money at the cost of the public exchequer.
Demanding an in-depth probe in the circumstances under which the management made huge investmenton renovation of these establishments before closure and punishment for the officials responsible for plundering public money, the veteran trade unionist said the coal workers were quite aware of the sinister design of the central government for privatizing the coal sector and said that the trade unions would oppose any such move with their full might.
Talking about the BCCL management decision to shift nearly 10,000 miners from Bastkola, Lodna, Ghanudih, eastern Jharia area, Kustore, Sindri and Bhuli all at a time without discussing the issue in the central consultative committee of unions, Bakshi alleged that the BCCL management was deliberately creating a situation of industrial unrest.
Asking the management to stop playing football' with the miners he announced that miners would organize sloganeering and protest marches in all the collieries of eastern Jharia area from Friday and would resort to strike if the management did not agree to review its decision of closure.
Sadhan Banerjee, Surendra Roy, Dilip Chakraborty, Shiv Balak Paswan, Sugreev Singh, Puran Chandra Mahto, Nitai Mahto wee among other prominent trade union leaders who spoke. The leaders also submitted a memorandum to the eastern Jharia area management demanding to reopen the closed mine at the earliest.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/City/Ranchi/Unions-question-investment-in-closed-mines/articleshow/4813225.cms
Mining – International
Feature: An investment called mining
Last Updated: Friday, 24 July 2009, 0:56 GMT Previous Page
The size of these trucks would not fit on our normal roads
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People are fascinated by mines and mining landscapes, whether the operations are on the surface as open cast mines, or the operations take place underground. I have been underground in various mines six times, but as a permanently curious person, I am still waiting for my seventh chance to have another go.
The fascination of going underground seems to arise not from the chance of meeting mine workers six or ten kilometers into the bowels of the earth, but rather arises from the “I survived it factor”. It is indeed a matter of pride and a life achievement factor to be able to tell others, 'I have been underground six times!” The usual reaction of your listeners would be questions and exclamations:”Hey! How's it like down there?”, or “Did you see gold/ what did you see there?” etc.
With surface or open cast mines, the experience is an entirely different proposition. Here, it seems that the fascination is generated by the huge open cast landscapes, the tall tailings ridges and mountains, and even more importantly, the monstrously huge machinery, both mobile and stationary. Mines are so fascinating that several years ago some of us decided that it was high time to open up the mines in Ghana to enable Ghanaians to visit to have their curiosity satisfied.
visiting mines
We began with a survey to determine whether Ghanaians and tourists would actually buy the idea of visiting mines. The initial research and subsequent ones into possibilities of introducing mines tourism remarkably revealed very interesting results. The fact was that about 80% of people in Ghana would be delighted to tour or visit a mine operation.
Of this high percentage, we also found out that 75% of that number would be willing to make a modest payment for the chance to tour a mine and to see how gold or some other precious metal is produced, manufactured or its ore extracted. Ghanaians are a curious, enquiring lot.
A visit to a mine also, in my personal estimation, enables us to come to terms with our basic humanity, to know how tiny and insignificant we are as human beings in the vast openness of the surface mine against the backdrop of huge and heavy machinery.
One fact, however, that may be easily lost on a visitor in the excitement of the tour of a mine, is the monstrously large investment that a mine represents.
To satisfy my curiosity in this regard, and wanting to know how much a mining operation costs, I made arrangements and managed to tour the Gold Fields operations in Tarkwa and Darmang. I was not disappointed with my layman tour of a huge mining operation. I had for example seen tipping trucks before, but I was quite unprepared for the spectacle of machinery that confronted my eyes.
For the first time in my varied life, I was seeing 25-foot tall dumpsters of tipping trucks whose tyres have a diameter of over six feet. Wanting to know how it might feel to sit twenty feet above the ground behind the wheel and drive such a brute, my guide and protector laughed and explained that the operators of those machines are specially trained in South Africa in simulators to begin with, the same way that people are trained to pilot commercial airplanes.
In spite of the size of these trucks which would not fit on our normal roads [30 in all], I was still astonished to be told that the trucks, technically called Caterpillar785 Dump Trucks weigh 150 tonnes each, the weight of a moon-bound spacecraft! The trucks gave me my first indication of how much the Gold Fields Company has invested by way of heavy machinery at its operations.
In fact, Gold Fields belongs to the global Gold Fields family, a multi-national precious metal producer with its headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Gold Fields family has four operating mines in South Africa, with two in Australia and two in Ghana. I was also informed that the company has projects at various stages of development in neighbouring Burkina Faso, and far away Peru in South America. Gold Fields is not a new name in global mining circles.
Far from that, the company is considered to be one of the first global mining conglomerates in the world, and its contact with Ghana had its genesis in 1990 when it acquired the right to operate the then existing underground mine in Tarkwa. Since then, Gold Fields has never looked back. In 1996, after reviewing the large surface deposits of ore near the existing underground operation, Gold Fields developed a heap leach surface mining operation which increased the mine life by more than two decades.
expansion programme
This began the expansion programme of Gold Fields in the Western Region. In 2000, the Company purchased a portion of the Teberebie mine south of the existing open cast mining operation.
Two years later, Gold Fields acquired the Aboso Goldfields Darmang mine, an action which the same year led to the declaration of Gold Fields as the second largest gold producer in Ghana. Presently, however, the company is the largest gold producer in Ghana with an annual production in excess of 900,000 ounces from its operating mines at Tarkwa and Darmang, engaging over 4,000 Ghanaians in direct employment.
My visit to the Tarkwa mine also brought me into contact with another record-holding piece of machinery. After 2004, Gold Fields successfully commissioned the largest single stage SAG mill in the world! From a distance, these two rotating mills looked large enough to confound your mind on how they were transported from China to Tarkwa.
But walking close up to it, the mills dwarf you so completely that you begin to wonder about their dimensions. It is through these mills that gold-bearing rocks [ore] are passed to be crushed into powder for the long chemical and electronic process to extract gold to begin. I wanted to know more about these two incredible spinning hulks of metal and learned that the mills normally take two years to manufacture. In the case of the two at Tarkwa, they required 74 weeks from the order date to the completion of their installation on site. The mills were shipped from China on a bulk-break basis, as the sizes of these mills prohibited their transfer in containers.
For this reason, they required special shipping attention because they were to be shipped under the weather, excepting some critical components.
After having an eyeful of these machines, I turned to my guide and asked the obvious question. How much do these investments cost in money terms? In fact, by the end of 2007 financial year, Gold Fields had invested a total of about US$900 million in Ghana! The spin-off benefits of these investments are several and huge, including the provision of community support infrastructure [roads, housing, hospitals, schools, extension of utilities etc], on-the-job-training of Ghanaians and the transfer of technology.
Long after Gold Fields may have gone, these benefits will remain to serve Ghana and Ghanaians. More interesting is the company's investment in Management training. I was informed with evidence that Gold Fields recognizes the need for good leaders, hence its placement of emphasis on in-house management development programmes.
The strength of these management development programmes is their relevance to company-wide strategic needs.
As a result, independent assessors easily conclude that Goldfields management personnel easily compare very well with their counterparts in any part of the world.
Mining towns
More important to me as a Ghanaian was how Tarkwa, the operational town has also benefited from the operations of the Gold Fields company. To find answers, I left my guide and went to the Tarkwa town with questions for everybody and anybody.
Johannesburg, one of the most beautiful cities in Africa, sits on gold as a mining city, and it shows when you walk or drive around that city. Tarkwa may never compare with J'oburg, but it has its own share of the benefits accruable to a mining town.
Banking avenue
In town, I asked a banker what he thinks. His simple answer was to ask me in turn to walk what he called the “banking avenue”. Seven years ago, only two or three banks were operating in Tarkwa. Now, rather than count those that have established in the lively town, it is easier to count off those who are yet to establish themselves here. Practically all the banks that are found in Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi are also in Tarkwa: HFC bank, Stanbic, GCB, SG-SSB, and the Intercontinental bank are all here, as well as, UBA the Zenith Bank and GT bank.
No one bank seems to have been left out. These banking institutions have also brought a savings culture and modern business approaches, monetization and employment to the Wassa West District capital.
Through the presence and operations of Gold Fields, Tarkwa has emerged as the only district capital in Ghana with all the amenities, services, administrative and business features of a regional capital.
Hotels, and good ones at that, as well as restaurants have come to town. Tarkwa is the only district capital with a three star hotel and a number of star rated hotels in town. Shopping centres have sprung up with the growing worker population, human and trade conurbation, a university and a sizeable and growing expatriate population.
In fact, pioneering the investments of an African mining company in Ghana, Goldfields has emerged as a major pathfinder in intra-African investment in the mining industry. The Company's symbol or totem is the head of a lion. The lion is well-known for its loyalty, strength and calmness, and yet aggressive, diligent and strategically intelligent. So is the Gold Fields Ghana limited.
Credit: Jacob Oti Awere (Chronicle)
[pickjacob@yahoo.com]
http://news.myjoyonline.com/features/200907/33091.asp
Usiminas sees EBITDA margins rising on mining
Thu Jul 23, 2009 12:00pm EDT
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SAO PAULO, July 23 (Reuters) - Usiminas (USIM5.SA), Brazil's second-biggest steelmaker, expects its EBITDA margins to return to historic average levels once the crisis in the steel industry eases, partly because of lower costs related to owning iron ore mines, a top official said on Thursday.
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization -- a gauge of cash from operations known as EBITDA -- fell 92 percent to 117 million reais ($61.7 million) in the second quarter from a year earlier. The EBITDA margin, or EBITDA as a proportion of revenue, plunged to 4.8 percent from 37 percent.
The EBITDA margin reached 40 percent in the last quarter of 2008.
By owning its own iron ore mines, Usiminas has access to low-cost materials that give the company "a structural cost advantage" and should push EBITDA margins higher, Chief Financial Officer Ronald Secklemann said on a conference call. He declined to say when margins will recover. (Reporting by Guillermo Parra-Bernal; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSN2339448020090723
• JULY 24, 2009
Rio Tinto, Guinea Spar Over Mining Rights
Miner Told to Remove Equipment, Cede Half of Mineral-Rich Area
In a battle for control of one of the world's largest undeveloped iron-ore deposits, the government of Guinea has threatened mining giant Rio Tinto with losing half the rights to mine the country's mineral-rich Simandou mountains.
Rio Tinto can continue mining on 50% of the reserve, but must remove its equipment and cede the remaining half to rival BSG Resources, owned by Israeli billionaire Beny Steinmetz, said Guinea's mining minister, to a letter to the company.
Rio Tinto contends that it still has full mining rights to the acreage. "We have not changed our view that we have a valid legal claim to the northern concession," Rio said in a statement, referring to the reserves the letter said it must yield to BSG. "We will give the letter due consideration once we receive it, and respond direct to the minister," it said.
The Guinean government said its decision is final. "We have had very strong, spirited arguments with their management. If they want to take it to court that is their decision," said Mahmood Thiam, Guinea's minister of mines.
Rio Tinto has said it needs 100% of the reserves to make the $6 billion project viable.
London-based Rio Tinto, which has spent a decade exploring for iron ore in the Simandou mountains, initially received the rights to mine 100% of the reserves. Earlier this year, the Guinean government said Rio Tinto was moving too slowly and awarded half the rights to BSG.
Rio Tinto left its equipment behind, hoping to persuade the government to reinstate its rights to 100% of the concession, but Thursday caved in to the government's demands. "Rio Tinto is complying with the ministerial directive, and will complete the process of removing the drilling rig today. We have done this in such a way as to protect the environment and comply with our high safety standards," it said in a statement.
The miner wouldn't elaborate on its strategic options now that it looks as if it has permanently lost half of its Guinean mining land.
Mr. Thiam said Rio Tinto can still profit from a 50% stake. "The half they are left with constitutes a world-class asset," he said. "That half is larger and richer than the vast majority of iron-ore deposits in the world. Anyone interested in mining would be more than happy to get that half of their site." Brazil's Vale SA had shown early "verbal" interest in investing in Guinea for iron ore, he said.
Rio Tinto has used surrounding villagers to plead its case to the Guinean government. Many of them, up to 2,000, were employed by the company and its subcontractors until about six months ago, when Rio Tinto began laying them off due to the land dispute and a slowdown in global commodity sales.
Mr. Thiam said Guinea would no longer tolerate the grass-roots campaign, saying it could violate the country's law against destabilizing civil peace.
Mining is an important source of revenue for poor developing countries like Guinea, which lacks reliable electricity, clean water and other infrastructure. Guinea has been eager to attract investors, but the fight with Rio Tinto could scare them off, analysts said.
Write to Andrea Hotter at andrea.hotter@dowjones.com and Robert Guy Matthews atrobertguy.matthews@wsj.com
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124838931608377349.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
SA Chamber of Mines tables final wage offer
Friday, 24 Jul 2009
It is reported that Chamber of Mines has tabled a final wage offer for coal miners.
As per report a 9% offer was made by Anglo Coal, Xstrata, Exxaro, Delmas Coal and Kangra to increase the salaries of miners, artisans and officials. For all other employees, a 10% offer was tabled, except for entry-level salaries which would be increased to ZAR 3713 a month.
Dr Frans Barker a negotiator for the employers said that "The employers have made the best final offers they could within the constraints of their individual operational circumstances. We are confident that the unions will consider these offers favorably.”
The offer was made to members of the National Union of Mineworkers, Solidarity and the United Association of South Africa, which represent workers in the sector.
The chamber in a statement said that "Optimum and Siyanda collieries do not have different categories of employees and their employees have been offered an increase of 9.5%. Springlake has offered between 9.5% and 10% for the lower category employees, while their miners, artisans and officials have been offered nine percent.”
Mr Lesiba Seshoka a NUM spokesperson said the offer was being taken back to the union's membership to be discussed. He said that "We are consulting with our members, I cannot comment on what the outcome would be.”
(Sourced from www.mg.co.za)
http://steelguru.com/news/index/2009/07/24/MTAzNjg0/SA_Chamber_of_Mines_tables_final_wage_offer.html
Committee on human right abuses in Mining areas
Sherry Ayittey says Ministry will investigate human rights abuses
The Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Sherry Ayittey says her Ministry has set up a committee to investigate human rights abuses in Mining communities.
The Minister said residents in mining areas face problems such as forest degradation, destruction of agricultural lands and contamination of water bodies.
She called on Mining companies to ensure that they fulfill their responsibilities towards mining communities. They should also ensure prompt payment of compensation to individuals and communities that are affected by their operations.
Miss Sherry Ayittey was speaking at the 2009 annual general meeting of the Ghana Institute of Planners in Accra.
Miss Ayittey disclosed that her Ministry has outlined a new policy for the Department of Town and Country Planning under which professional lapses, lack of initiative and a general lack of direction for the growth and management of towns and cities in Ghana, will be addressed.
She appealed to the Ghana Institute of Planners to be an advocacy group to ensure a new direction in town planning.
Miss Ayittey noted that the Mining areas could be planned into prosperous and wealth generating communities where there are diverse job opportunities.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Joyce Aryee urged Ghanaians to take interest in mining activities.
http://gbcghana.com/news/27062detail.html
Other News
'Govt Committed To Control Corruption In NREGS'
P B Chandra, TNN 24 July 2009, 04:29am IST
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JAIPUR: The payment of wages under National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) to labourers in 11 districts was delayed due to paucity of
technical staff and shortage of manpower in post offices. The wages under muster roll should have been paid within 15 days. The labourers are entitled to a weekly payment of wages and are empowered to demand compensation for delay in receiving the wages.
On a joint question by Rohitash Kumar and Rajendra Singh Rathor, the minister for rural development, Bharat Singh, said the delay in payment of wages was caused because of inefficiency on the part of officials and action is being taken against the officials for the delay.
The minister said that the state government was committed to control corruption in NREGS and revenue officials have been empowered to inspect the work sites and documents and the progress of various projects under the programme.
He said a mobile unit would also visit the site on receiving complaints about corruption. A helpline is being set up where complaints can be lodged on telephone. The toll free helpline's number is 1077. A complaint box would also be installed at the collectorate and at various sub-divisional headquarters.
In reply to another question of BJP's Chotu Singh Bhati, Bharat Singh said the work for NREGS is finalised after its approval by the Gram Sabha and employment is provided on the basis of work requirement. He said employment is provided without any prejudice as it is the basic programme of rural development.
He admitted that there was a need for effective monitoring of progress of various works under NREGS. He urged the legislators for active participation at panchayat level and to point out any lapse. He said attending the panchayat level meetings is the right of every MLA and they should assert it.
Singh added that employment is provided to each family for 100 days in a year and the funds allotment is done depending on the number of employment that is to be provided. In another question by Raj Kumar Sharma, the revenue minister, Hema Ram Choudhary, informed the House that there are 32,969 villages with a population figure of 250 and above.
All the villages in the desert and tribal areas with a population of 250 would be connected by metalled roads by the year end. Other villages with a population betweem 250 and 499 would be connected by gravel roads.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, the cost of building roads is provided by the Centre and there is no provision for acquiring land. In all such areas where the road passes through the privately--owned land of farmers, the roads are built after reaching an understanding with the farmers.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/City/Jaipur/Govt-Committed-To-Control-Corruption-In-NREGS/articleshow/4813346.cms
Bhutan committed to improving the status of women'
United Nations (PTI): In the aftermath of its historic transition to a democratic constitutional monarchy, Bhutan on Friday informed the United Nations that the government was committed to not only improve the status of women, but also ensure that they have equal status in the society.
"We want to ensure that a culture of gender equality is preserved and strengthened and that any prevailing anomalies do not become accepted norms," said Lyonpo Ygyen Tshering, the Bhutanese Foreign Minister, while presenting his country's seventh periodic report to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.
Bhutan has made gender a cross-cutting theme for the first time, in the Five-Year Plan, and it has installed gender focal points in the Gross National Happiness Commission and the National Commission for Women and Children (NCWC), he said.
Women are also asserting themselves, participating in all walks of life, including politics, in increasing numbers, Tshering said.
Lauding those steps, the committee members, however, expressed concern over persistent patriarchal roles and values that discriminated against women and fed the so-called "culture of silence" over the domestic violence women suffered.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/003200907241121.htm
Gender budget for women empowerment in Uttarakhand
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STAFF WRITER 12:54 HRS IST
Dehradun, July 23 (PTI) Taking a step further towards women empowerment, the Uttarakhand government has risen the allocation for gender budget by over 84 per cent this fiscal.
In the budget which was presented in the state assembly recently by Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, the provision of gender budget has been increased from Rs 656.45 crore in 2008-09 to Rs 1205.04 crore in 2009-10.
Last year, the gender budget provision was for 20 departments, while this year four more departments have been added in this bracket.
"We are working for the empowerment of women earnestly. In this direction, the allocation of Rs 1,205 crore in budget would be very fruitful," the CM said.
The chief minister has also launched various schemes like Gaura Devi Kanya Dhan Yojna and Nanda Devi Yojna in an effort to pay special attention towards women empowerment
http://www.ptinews.com/news/189567_Gender-budget-for-women-empowerment-in-Uttarakhand
Genetic Analysis Reveals Aborigines May Have Originated From India
Category: Genetics & Stem Cells News
Thursday, July 23, 2009 at 7:18:07 PM
Genetic research conducted by a team of Indian scientists has indicated that aborigines, who initially arrived in Australia via south Asia, may have originated from India.
The evidence was disocvered by Dr Raghavendra Rao, who worked with a team of researchers from the Anthropological Survey of India, to find telltale mutations in modern-day Indian populations that are exclusively shared by Aborigines.
For the research, the team sequenced 966 complete mitochondrial DNA genomes from Indian 'relic populations'.
"Mitochondrial DNA is inherited only from the mother and so allows us to accurately trace ancestry. We found certain mutations in the DNA sequences of the Indian tribes we sampled that are specific to Australian Aborigines," said Dr Rao.
This shared ancestry suggests that the Aborigine population migrated to Australia via the so-called 'Southern Route'.
The 'Southern Route' dispersal of modern humans suggests movement of a group of hunter-gatherers from the Horn of Africa, across the mouth of the Red Sea into Arabia and southern Asia at least 50 thousand years ago.
Subsequently, the modern human populations expanded rapidly along the coastlines of southern Asia, southeastern Asia and Indonesia to arrive in Australia at least 45 thousand years ago.
The genetic evidence of this dispersal from the work of Rao and his colleagues is supported by archeological evidence of human occupation in the Lake Mungo area of Australia dated to approximately the same time period.
Discussing the implications of the research, Dr Rao said, "Human evolution is usually understood in terms of millions of years. This direct DNA evidence indicates that the emergence of 'anatomically modern' humans in Africa and the spread of these humans to other parts of the world happened only fifty thousand or so years ago."
"In this respect, populations in the Indian subcontinent harbor DNA footprints of the earliest expansion out of Africa," he added.
"Understanding human evolution helps us to understand the biological and cultural expressions of these people, with far reaching implications for human welfare," he added.
Source-ANI
THK
http://www.medindia.net/news/Genetic-Analysis-Reveals-Aborigines-May-Have-Originated-From-India-55157-1.htm
Implementation status of Scheduled Tribes and Other Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act
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15:32 IST
LOK SABHA
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has been interacting with all the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations urging them to take all necessary steps for expeditious implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006. Review meetings with the concerned officers of the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations are being held and the officers of the Ministry are also visiting the States to assess and guide the pace of implementation. The Ministry has recently advised and is pursuing all the State/ UT Governments to ensure completion of the work relating to vesting of forest rights during the current year.
As on 30.06.2009, more than 21.49 lakh claims under the Act have been received and 2.70 lakh (approx.) titles have been distributed and another 1.35 lakh (approx.) titles are ready for distribution in various States.
This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs Dr. Tushar A. Chaudhary in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=50934
Development of Primitive Tribes Groups
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15:36 IST
LOK SABHA
On the basis of the report received from the Registrar General of India, there is no indication that the total population of Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) is declining in the country.
This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs Dr. Tushar A. Chaudhary in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
The Minister said that the Ministry has been implementing a 100% Central Sector Scheme viz. “Development of Primitive Tribal Groups" since 1998-99 for over all development of Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs). It is a very flexible scheme. Any activity/work, which is connected with the survival, protection and development of PTGs, can be taken up under the scheme. The activities/works may include provisions for housing, land distribution, land development, agricultural development, cattle development, income generation programmes, health-care, infrastructure development, social security, etc.
During 10th Five Year Plan, an amount of Rs.105.03 crores has been released on the basis of annual activities proposed by various States/UT. This includes Rs. 20.48 crores released for insurance coverage of 4.09 lakhs heads of PTG families under Janashree Bima Yojana of Life Insurance Corporation of India.
Further, from the 11th Five Year Plan, the Ministry has started funding long-term Conservation-cum-Development (CCD) Plan for the entire Plan period, aiming at hamlet/habitat development of PTGs, prepared by each State/UT on the basis of need assessed through baseline surveys or other surveys conducted by them. Rs. 57.86 crores and Rs. 192.07 crores have been released to States/UT and NGOs during 2007-08 & 2008-09 respectively, under these CCD Plans.
VBA/BS
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=50935
Legislation for real estate
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12:2 IST
Lok Sabha
'Land' and 'Colonisation' being State subjects, it is primarily the responsibility of State Governments to provide for adequate Shelter and enact enabling regulatory measures to facilitate the same. However, the National Conference of State Ministers of Housing, Urban Development and Municipal Administration on 'Affordable Housing for All' held on 20.01.2009 inter alia resolved that the Central Government may prepare a model 'Real Estate Regulation Bill', which includes the issue of land valuation systems & mechanisms for use by State Governments to bring in adequate controls on urban development.
The proposed legislation is presently at the stage of consultations with various stakeholders. This information was given by the Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=50919
States advised to serve hot cooked meal at Anganwadis
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15:48 IST
LOK SABHA
As per the guidelines contained in the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme, the State Government Union Territory Administrations have the flexibility to select the type of food to be provided as supplementary nutrition to pregnant & lactating mothers and children below six years of age. More recently, Government of India have issued guidelines to the State Governments/UTs to provide hot cooked meal to the children along with morning snacks in the age group of 3-6 years at Anganwadis Centres (AWCs) and Mini AWCs under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme.
In addition to hot cooked meal at the Anganwadi center, take home rations are provided for children below three years, severely malnourished children and pregnant and lactating women.
This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Women & Child Development, Smt. Krishna Tirath in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
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http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=50940
President inaugurates Rashtrapati Bhavan Helpline Portal
16:1 IST
The President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil inaugurated the Rashtrapati Bhavan Helpline Portal at Rashtrapati Bhavan today.
The portal at the internet URL http://helpline.rb.nic.in seeks to make the process of sending grievances to the President easier. The portal is user friendly and its highlights are as follows:
• Lodging of request/grievance by clicking “Lodge a Request/Grievance” from any place any time (24X7) basis.
• Generation of Unique Registration Number (URN) for every request/grievance.
• Citizen can track the status of their request/grievance real time online.
• Acknowledgement by e-mail, if provided.
• Instant and easy communication between nodal Public Grievance officers of Government Organizations.
• Integration with Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS).
• Automatic Online Data transmission between Ministries/Department/Organization and the subordinate organizations.
• Constant update on the status of request/grievance received and acted upon by the President’s Secretariat.
Its special features are:
• Enables lodging of lengthy e-petitions.
• Enables supplementary attachment of scanned documents.
• Additional mode of acknowledgement through e-mails.
• On submission of registration form, petitioner gets a Unique Registration Number (URN).
Once the request/grievance is scrutinized by the Helpline Main Desk at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the following actions would take place:-
• Scrutinize requests/grievances and assign appropriate grievance category.
• Decide on action required.
• Online forwarding of requests/grievances to Ministries/Departments/State Governments.
• Reminders sent electronically.
• Action taken is update on the ‘Updates Action Form’ at Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) level.
• The action taken report is reviewed by the higher authority before closure under the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS).
http://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#sent
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