29-07-09

Mining – India 1
1. Arundhati Roy joins protest against U.K. firm’s mining plan in Orissa 1
2. Assess damage caused by mining: MLA 2
3. Colleagues dare Kamat to tackle illegal mining 3
4. Water fills mine, threatens flood in Talcher 4
5. Over 22,000 trees vanished due to illegal mining at Mahurzari, HC told 5
6. SGZP seeks road widening in mining areas 5
7. Jharkhand govt, Assocham to organise national summit on mining 6
8. Govt staff in illegal mining case 7
9. Royalty on 46 minerals likely to be increased 7
Mining – International 9
10. Roger Moody Interview - by GRAIN 9
11. Further Papua violence likely: Australia 11
12. IMF consideration predated global financial collapse - Shaw 12
13. Greenhouse worry from mine plan, says ACF 13
14. 'Big problem' 14
15. JAMAICA'S FUTURE REQUIRES WE ADOPT A STRATEGY OF EXPORT LED GROWTH 14
Other News 16
16. Complaints for not furnishing information under RTI 16
17. Recommendations for less Government Ministries 17
18. Rise in cases of HIV/Aids affected children 17
19. Graft mars NREGS work: Govt 18
20. Study report on NREGS 19
21. SIX KALAHARI BUSHMEN IMPRISONED FOR HUNTING 19

Mining – India

Arundhati Roy joins protest against U.K. firm’s mining plan in Orissa
Special Correspondent
It will lead to the devastation of a whole ecosystem

Arundhati Roy
LONDON: Booker Prize winning writer Arundhati Roy and British human rights campaigner Bianca Jagger were among a group of high-profile figures who lent their support to a protest held here outside the offices of the mining company, Vedanta Resources, demanding that it withdraw its plans to construct a massive bauxite mine in Orissa.
Sacred site
The site of the mine is sacred to the Dongria Kondh tribe of the region. A representative of the tribe Sitaram Kulisika flew from India to attend the protest which coincided with a meeting of the company’s annual general meeting.
The Survival International, which organised the protest, released a message of solidarity from Ms. Roy.
The writer activist said: “If Vedanta is allowed to go ahead with its plans for mining the Niyamgiri Hills for bauxite it will lead to the devastation of a whole ecosystem, and the destruction of not just the Dongria Kondh tribal community, but eventually all those whose livelihoods depend on that ecosystem.”
Ms Jagger, warned that the proposed mine would damage the cultural and economic rights of the Kondh people.
“Our God”
Mr. Kulisika said : “Niyamgiri [the mountain] is our God and he is guiding us all the time, he has kept us alive. Our God has been looking after us for thousands of years. We must make sure that we keep our mountain safe.”
Stephen Corry, director of the Survival International, argued that the days of British companies taking tribal people’ lands with impunity were over. “The court of public opinion will ensure the Dongria Kondh don’t face this threat alone: it will ensure that the damage to the company’s reputation will, in the long run, outweigh its profits. As well as being a gross human rights violation, it’s just economic madness for Vedanta to mine Dongria land,” he said.
Road blockades
The Dongria Kondh tribes have been actively resisting Vedanta’s plans by setting up road blockades.
They have also been organising human chains to prevent bulldozers from passing.
http://www.hindu.com/2009/07/29/stories/2009072961502200.htm

Assess damage caused by mining: MLA
TNN 29 July 2009, 02:00am IST
Print
Email
Discuss Bookmark/Share
Save
Comment
Text Size: |
PANAJI: Lambasting the government over its recent mining policy, Congress MLA Dayanand Narvekar demanded that a standing committee of the house


be set up to study the destruction caused by mining in the state.

Narvekar also said that mining under the present policy would wipe out the forest cover and civilization.

The MLA pointed out that from 17%, the contribution of the mining sector to the state's economy had come down to a mere 4%. He said that even though the revenue earned by the mining sector was Rs 4,500 crore, the money was not being pumped into the state's overall economy.

"Is this fair? They dig a mine, deplore the wealth, carry out deforestation, pollute, and then abandon the site. Even during recession, the figures of mining exports have increased from 2,91,50,449 metric tonnes last year to 3,22,31,867 metric tonnes this year. The government should impose a higher cess on miners to make them accountable," Narvekar said.

Narvekar said that the government should discourage miners from Andhra Pradesh from operating in Goa. "The government should stop miners from Andhra Pradesh. I suggest that a standing committee be formed under the chairmanship of Shyam Satardekar to look into the matter. He knows the amount of destruction caused by mining," the Aldona MLA said.

Narvekar also said that since several patches of forest land, and waterbodies, were located within the vicinity of mines, the entire forest cover would be wiped out. "In areas like Sanguem and Bicholim, forest land and waterbodies are located in between mines. God help those people. Nothing will be left, neither people nor animals," he remarked.

Narvekar also criticized the mining department saying that it did not have details of illegal mining activities in the state. "What happened to the complaints filed by several villagers and NGOs? I have never heard of so many complaints going missing," he said, adding that this would reflect on the department's functioning.

Narvekar also stated that dumping of ore was going on outside lease areas without clearance from the forest and wildlife department. "Uncontrolled mining will not do any good to Goa," Narvekar added.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/City/Goa/Assess-damage-caused-by-mining-MLA/articleshow/4831891.cms

Colleagues dare Kamat to tackle illegal mining
TNN 29 July 2009, 01:22am IST
Print
Email
Discuss Bookmark/Share
Save
Comment
Text Size: |
PANAJI: Chief minister Digambar Kamat on Tuesday received a challenge from his own colleagues in the government over implementation of his


earlier assurance given in the house that all illegal mining operations in the state will be shut down.

Cortalim MLA Mauvin Godinho said that decisions alone would not indicate that the government was serious about tackling the problem. Implementing the decisions would prove that the government meant business.

"The proof of the pudding lies in its eating. We congratulate you on cancelling SEZs despite pressure from several quarters. We will congratulate you even more when illegal mining is stopped," Godinho said.

It may be pointed out that chief minister Digambar Kamat last week had assured the house that all illegal mines operating in the state would be shut.

Kamat in his speech on Tuesday reiterated, "My government will not tolerate illegal mining. No mining leases that have expired will be renewed until we have a mining policy in place."

Earlier, the chief minister also explained that under the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Devdlopment) Act, 1957, if a lease holder applied for renewal before the expiry of the lease, mining operations could continue until the application for renewal is rejected.

Kamat also made a statement that took many by surpise. "We will see that no mining activity is carried out in the Western Ghats," he said.

Later speaking to TOI, Kamat said that his statement was made in context with mining operations being carried out at Dhavem-Sattari in the Western Ghats, which is an ecologically sensitive area.

"I pointed out to one place, Dhavem, which is in the ghat area," he said.

Incidentally, most of Goa's mines are in the Western Ghats region and this area is being rated among the top ten biodiversity hotspots in the world.

Earlier, opposition leader Manohar Parrikar pointed out that the report by the high level monitoring committee had stated that mining was being carried out near wildlife sanctuaries.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/City/Goa/Colleagues-dare-Kamat-to-tackle-illegal-mining/articleshow/4831878.cms

Water fills mine, threatens flood in Talcher
;Statesman News Service
TALCHER, 28 JULY: In the wake of an incident in which water filled the Champapasi underground mine following coal extraction, leading to fears among the town population, the former MLA and noted environmentalist, Bibhudedndra Pratap Das, has asked the government and Mahanadi coalfield limited authorities to take steps to shift people from town to safety.
Das said that there was a danger of Talcher town being flooded by the water which had filled the underground mine of Champapasi.
Closed three years ago, the mine had no pumping facility to flush out the water, thus leading to overflowing of the empty pits after coal extraction, he said.
He blamed the authorities for mining in an area inhabited by a town population, even though it was decided earlier not to do so. He alleged bungling of huge money in the sand filling works.
“There is a serious danger to the town, under which coal has been extracted, leaving a vacuum,” he said, demanding immediate displacement of the town living above the closed mine, and adequate compensation.
Meanwhile, a committee to save Talcher has been formed under the leadership of Purna Chandra Sahu and ex-municipal chairman Keshab Bhutia to spearhead an agitation against Mahanadi Coalfield Limited for filing sand in the underground mine now filled by water. The committee is contemplating calling a Talcher bandh to press for their demand.

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=9&theme=&usrsess=1&id=262697

Over 22,000 trees vanished due to illegal mining at Mahurzari, HC told
Vaibhav Ganjapure, TNN 29 July 2009, 04:33am IST
Print
Email
Discuss Bookmark/Share
Save
Comment
Text Size: |
NAGPUR: In another turn to the petition of illegal mining and illicit tree felling on the government land at Mouza Mahurzari in Nagpur district,


the Bombay high court's Nagpur bench on Tuesday allowed the petitioner to add plantation officer of social forestry department and Environment and Pollution Control Board as one of the respondents.

A division bench comprising Dilip Sinha and Prasanna Varale then adjourned the hearing of case by two weeks so as to give respondents time to file reply.

The petition was filed by social worker Umesh Chaube and three others who had attached TOI reports to the petition. Anand Parchure and Shrikant Khandalkar were counsels for the petitioners. The petitioners will also be filing a contempt plea against the respondents as they failed to obey court's orders to stop illegal mining in the area.
The counsels for petitioners pointed out to the court that the illicit felling of trees was going on for excavation work from the area earmarked as Zudpi Jungle that had also damaged the approach road. Over 22,400 trees were planted in this area by social forestry department in 1991-92, but due to illegal mining, not a single tree has been left, the petitioners said.

According to counsels, Khasra Nos 100 and 152 at Mouza Mahurzari in Nagpur are earmarked as hilly rock and are reserved for cattle grazing. Since a couple years, rampant illegal excavation by some private individuals on this government property was going on in the area. The villagers even lodged a complaint with the concerned authorities on July 14 last year. After this, the petitioners made a complaint to the collector seeking immediate action.

The petitioners contended that despite bringing all facts and figures of illegal mining by the private parties to the concerned authorities, they are simply ignoring their appeals. Moreover, the executive engineer (Construction) had also issued a letter to the collector in this regard, but no action had been initiated till date.

Interestingly, the district collector had acknowledged before the court that they had found illegal mining in Khasra No. 152 and had given orders to lease holder to stop mining. However, the petitioner filed a counter affidavit that illegal mining was continuing in night hours at the area. During last hearing, the court directed the mining officer to file a separate report on action taken to ensure that illegal excavation will not take place.

The petitioners prayed for high level inquiry from the CBI into entire affairs and action against guilty including government officials who were working in collusion with private lease holders.
According to counsels, Khasra Nos 100 and 152 at Mouza Mahurzari in Nagpur are earmarked as hilly rock and are reserved for cattle grazing.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/City/Nagpur/Over-22000-trees-vanished-due-to-illegal-mining-at-Mahurzari-HC-told/articleshow/4831986.cms

SGZP seeks road widening in mining areas
TNN 29 July 2009, 02:08am IST
Print
Email
Discuss Bookmark/Share
Save
Comment
Text Size: |
MARGAO: The south Goa zilla panchayat, at its meeting held on Tuesday, adopted a resolution to urge the chief minister Digambar Kamat and the


public works department (PWD) minister Churchill Alemao to take immediate steps for widening of roads in the mining areas of Sanvordem, pending the construction of a bypass road for mining trucks in the area.

Moving the resolution, zilla panchayat member of Sanvordem constituency, Pradeep Desai brought to the notice of the district panchayat body that the roads in the mining village had deteriorated and that the increase in the density of mining trucks added to the traffic congestion. "The worsening traffic situation invariably results in road blocks at various places, creating a chaotic situation. The demand for a bypass road has been hanging fire for many years. Even hunger strike agitation by the villagers to press for their demand for a bypass road seems to have failed to spur the government to act. The government should now at least undertake the task of widening the road from Codli to Sanvordem to ease the traffic congestion to some extent," Desai stated.
ZP member from Curtorim, Santan Rodrigues brought to the notice of the zilla panchayat that the proposed road MDR-39 passing through Curtorim be scrapped and instead a road overbridge be constructed along the MDR-40 linking Curtorim to Chandor.

Rodrigues, meanwhile, was lauded by the ZP members for his relentless efforts' in dragging the government to court over non-devolution of funds and powers to the district panchayat bodies, which finally bore fruit following the filing of a writ petition in the Bombay high court at Goa last week.

Amidst the drab proceedings of the meeting, the introduction of the annual study tour' of the ZPs brightened the mood of all its members, with many offering outlandish ideas on how to go about the government-sponsored tour.

The annual study tour is ostensibly aimed at providing an insight to the ZP members about the functioning of the local self-government bodies in other states.

ZP member Joe Dias suggested that this time an overseas tour be conducted for the purpose and even went to the extent of suggesting that Sri Lanka be the preferred destination. "In Sri Lanka there exists a garbage treatment plant right in front of the President's palace and no foul smell emanates from it. A tour to this nation will help us to get new ideas in setting up garbage treatment plants in Goa," Dias said, which found favourable response from some of the fellow ZP members with Nelly Rodrigues suggesting that the panchayat body write to the government to give its nod to the plan.

Interestingly, the ZP members wanted the period of the study tour to coincide with the Diwali vacation for the schools, giving rise to questions concerning the school vacations and the ZP's study tours.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/City/Goa/SGZP-seeks-road-widening-in-mining-areas/articleshow/4831901.cms

Jharkhand govt, Assocham to organise national summit on mining
28 Jul 2009, 2222 hrs IST, ET Bureau

Print
EMail
Discuss Share
Save
Comment
Text:




PATNA: Even as the Jharkhand government decides to clamp restrictions on access to minerals, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industries

(Assocham) of India, in association with the state government, is organising a national summit on mining to attractinvestments.

The national summit "Mining – Advantage Jharkhand", to be held in the state capital on August 4, aims at bringing all the stakeholders – policy makers, investors, lenders, equipment manufacturers, etc. at a common platform, and to focus on investment and business opportunities in the state. The event is a part of activities to promote newly formed states like Jharkhand as attractive destinations for investment, said an Assocham official.

"In today’s competitive global markets for capital and mineral resources, long term success in attracting private investment in mineral exploration depends on a combination of factors such as favorable natural endowment and a conducive legal, fiscal institutional framework. Jharkhand has a unique location as one of the states with a huge potential in the mining sector in the country," said the official.

The national summit will be attended by governor K. Sankarnarayanan, union food processing industries minister Suboh Kant Sahay, deputy speaker Karia Munda, state industries secretary N.N. Sinha, besides senior officials of National Minerals Development Corporation (NMDC), SAIL, Jindal Steel, ONGC, Mecon, JSW, DEMPO Goa, Indian School of Mines etc.

According to another official, there are several companies which have signed MoUs with the state government, but they have not been able to start work primarily because of slow pace of clearances in terms of mines, forest area etc. "The summit will focus on the urgency on part of the government to expedite statutory clearances so that these projects could see light of the day," he said.

Industries secretary Aradhana Patnaik said the event will provide an opportunity to bring both government and industries together, which will help each other understand various issues pertaining to industrialization.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News-By-Industry/Indl-Goods-Svs/Metals-Mining/Jharkhand-govt-Assocham-to-organise-national-summit-on-mining/articleshow/4831409.cms

Govt staff in illegal mining case
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Bhubaneswar, July 28: The government today suspended two Mayurbhanj mining officials and ordered a vigilance probe into illegal mining activities in Kasiabeda mines, even as the BJP staged a dharna in front of Raj Bhavan pressing for a CBI probe into the mining scam in Keonjhar.
Steel and mines minister Raghunath Mohanty told reporters that Baripada deputy director of mines Lalmohan Soren and senior inspector of mines P.C. Sahu were placed under suspension for furnishing false facts. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik has referred the case to the vigilance department, said Mohanty.
Action against the two was taken on the basis of findings of a joint inquiry by the joint secretary of steel and mines department and chief vigilance officer.
The inquiry was made following a order made by former Bahalda MLA Prahlad Purty. Earlier, raising the issue in the Assembly during zero hour, BJP leader K.V. Singhdeo reiterated the party’s demand for CBI probe into the alleged mining in Keonjhar.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090729/jsp/nation/story_11292807.jsp

Royalty on 46 minerals likely to be increased

Jul 28 2009 22:30 hrs IST , New Delhi
• Delicious

• Digg

• Google

• Yahoo
•
•
Tags: Cabinet Secretary, CCEA, Government, KM Chandrasekar, minerals, Industrial policy
By KA Badarinath
THE Union government proposes to increase royalty rates and dead rent on 46 minerals including iron ore and limestone. This would bring windfall in revenue for state governments and benefit mining companies, but may increase prices of minerals and hit metal producers.
Cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) will shortly consider mines minister BK Handique’s proposal for a steep hike in royalty rates based on recommendations of a secretaries’ panel headed by cabinet secretary KM Chandrasekhar that met on June 9.
Royalty for states would henceforth be on ad valorem basis and linked to international prices of metals. At present, specific royalty rates are charged on minerals on tonnage basis.
Royalty is charged by states from leaseholders of mines while ‘dead rent’ is paid on the leasehold area.
While coal has been exempt from new royalty regime, the UPA government’s proposal will push up states revenues by a whopping 103 per cent to Rs 4,629 crore from the existing Rs 2,280 crore annually.
As per mines ministry estimates, iron ore alone will fetch Rs 1,650 crore in revenues annually against only Rs 247 crore under the present royalty regime.
According to the mines ministry proposal, iron ore exporters and suppliers to domestic steel mills such as public sector National Minerals Development Corporation (NMDC) and private sector Sesa Goa will benefit from the new royalty regime.
Margins of iron and steel producers like SAIL, Tata Steel, Essar Steel and RINL could, however, come under pressure, as they will have to fork out more on the minerals and ore that they consume.
Besides iron ore, the new royalty regime would be applicable to other minerals such as limestone, bauxite, gold, silver, diamonds, copper, rock phosphate, graphite, gypsum, garnet and zinc ore.
Most royalty rates on minerals ranging from 3 to 25 per cent have been benchmarked to national average of respective metals rates. However, some are linked to respective metal prices traded on London Metal Exchange.
Although the finance ministry is not averse to shifting royalties collected by states to ad valorem rates from existing specific rates, it has cautioned that metal rates may see an upswing.
However, the cabinet secretary overruled this apprehension and maintained that the increase in royalty rates will not have the same impact as in case of coal where power tariffs would move northwards.
The centre has opposed the levy of cess on mineral bearing lands in various courts. It has decided to evolve a consensus on the issue with states. But, the negotiations will await the decision of the Supreme Court on levy of cess by states.
Prime minister’s office (PMO) was keen that royalty rates on minerals should be in tandem with cess being levied by states on mineral bearing lands to limit the possible inflationary impact on metals.
However, mines ministry prevailed on PMO not to link royalty rates to cess being charged by states. It would tantamount to giving credence to levy of cess by states, the ministry argued.

http://www.mydigitalfc.com/industrial-policy/royalty-46-minerals-likely-be-increased-380


Mining – International

Roger Moody
Interview by GRAIN
Roger Moody is an expert on mining and mining transnationals. He has spent years uncovering the facts about how mining companies operate. He edits the Mines and Communities website, which exposes the social, economic and environmental impacts of mining, particularly as they affect indigenous and traditional communities.
In Ecuador and India, we see indigenous communities mobilising powerfully to try and stop mining projects that they see as damaging to their way of life and belief systems. Is this part of a global trend? Have local communities become more active in recent years in the struggle to defend their territories?
RM: No question. When I started working with a global network of mining-affected communities with Minewatch back in 1990, we were working on around 30 major struggles a year. Part of the reason for this was that we didn’t know about isolated communities who hadn’t yet “internationalised” their experiences. That began to change between 1990 and 1995, as not only Minewatch but larger organisations (Amnesty, WWF, Human Rights Watch, and others) belatedly came to appreciate that mining was the big remaining global issue that they hadn’t yet effectively tackled. In 1996 the World Council of Churches held a conference on Indigenous Peoples and Mining, which 50 delegates attended. At a follow-up conference embracing the same aims, held in Manila in March 2009, 85 delegates attended – and there could have been many more. As editor of the Mines and Communities website, established in 2001, I now receive every day as many complaints from mining-affected communities as were being circulated every week a decade ago.
Vedanta is the company the Dongaria are fighting against. What do you know about Vedanta’s track record in other parts of the world?
Having examined the operations of numerous mining companies on a professional basis since the early 1990s, I’m often asked to name the “world’s worst”. Until 2007 I refused to do so. It is often the case that in some respects the big multinational miners are better than their smaller counterparts – especially in their relationships with some (I stress only some) local communities. They’ve finally learned how to win some of these on board, by banging the “sustainable development” drum and offering relatively generous impact benefit packages and access to infrastructure. On the other hand, the bigger the company, the worse the environmental damage they can do or threaten to do. For example, in a survey of tailings (mine waste) dam collapses included in my book Rocks and Hard Places, [1] the majority of the worst disasters were at mines operated by big US and European companies.
However, after Vedanta was listed on the London Stock Exchange in late 2003, I felt bound to examine this specific enterprise in more detail. Now I have no hesitation in describing it as the world’s most damaging mining company. It’s not just physical damage we’re talking about, but the entire armoury of deception – lies, breaches of faith and, above all, violations of regulations – to which the company has resorted over the past five years. While its conflict with the Dongaria Kondhs around its Nyamgiri bauxite project has seized the headlines (rightly so), I find that many people still aren’t aware of Vedanta’s egregious activities in other parts of India (in Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh, in particular) or its sullied record in Zambia and Armenia. In 2007, Anil Agarwal, the executive chair of Vedanta – who, with his family, holds some 54% of the company’s share capital – set about making it a “global force”. And that is what he’s been doing, acquiring control of Sesa Goa, India’s biggest iron ore exporter in 2007; and more recently buying into another iron ore producer in Brazil, taking a significant stake in Canada’s largest (and most polluting) zinc-lead miner, and just now, in May, announcing a new copper plant for the United Arab Emirates. Potentially the most threatening of its current plans is to take over Asarco, the USA’s third biggest copper-mining company, with the worst record for the country in this particular sector. Agarwal is a malevolent genius: Vedanta identifies run-down enterprises that can be acquired on the cheap and bring in quick profits, whatever corners have to be cut and regulations overridden. It’s this one aspect of Vedanta’s game plan which was exposed by the Norwegian government’s Council on Ethics last year, when, after concluding an intensive two-year investigation, it concluded that the company was intrinsically incapable of observing even basic rules of good practice, and that the government’s pension fund should disinvest from the company (which it did).
Mining companies always claim that they can mine without damaging diversity or local farming practices. Do they ever actually achieve this?
I’m not going to generalise. It took some years before those of us working to try to limit the industry’s depredations got some positive response from some individual mining companies. And we haven’t been entirely disappointed. For example, the world’s largest “natural resource” company, BHP Billiton, promised a few years ago never again to dump its waste into rivers or on the sea bottom – and so far it has kept to that promise. Rio Tinto, on the other hand – BHP Billiton’s major global rival – hasn’t undertaken to follow that lead. Arguably, however, Rio Tinto is more aware of the consequences of mining in primary forest areas, and has done a few deals with communities of which the latter approve. At root, we’re confronting an industry whose raison d’être is to go where the minerals are, whatever the consequences to current land and water usage, and to extract profit from irreplaceable resources. Nor do they actively promote recycling and reuse of mined metals, for that would threaten their fundamental mission. Judging from the unceasing flow of justifiable complaints that pass over my desk each day, it’s impossible to conclude that mining practices have substantially improved over the past two decades. Indeed some – such as those used in the expansion of open-pit mining for copper, nickel and gold – have demonstrably got worse.
It is too early to tell whether the communities in Ecuador and India will be successful. But are other communities managing to stop mining projects or to close them down? Can you give us some examples?
Yes they are, though it’s difficult at the present time to distinguish between projects put on hold because of the current lack of debt finance and those which have been abandoned, possibly indefinitely, because the companies know they’ll face continuing, possibly accelerating, resistance. In 2002, PriceWaterhouseCooper surveyed around 30 large mining companies, asking them if they’d been forced to abandon proposed projects because of external opposition – and if so, what type of opposition. The results were surprising: more than 20 had shelved proposals, and the most important factor was, indeed, community opposition. In the past year, BHP Billiton have abandoned some projects; Rio Tinto has sold off others. In most cases, we can’t claim that such proposals have definitely been ditched because the company has recognised the legitimacy of the criticisms; almost always they will cite “economic constraints” instead. We can be sure, however, and increasingly so, that the corporate risks posed by critics, and active resistance at ground level, are factored into company assessments of a project’s viabibility. We know this because the companies are telling us that it is the case.
Awareness is growing worldwide about the gravity of the climate crisis. Is this beginning to change public perceptions? Maybe the ‘development agenda’, where economic progress is valued before all else, is beginning to be challenged? Are people becoming more aware of the huge environmental and social cost of destructive development projects?
We’ve several steps to go before the contribution of mining to greenhouse gas emissions is widely recognised. It’s only been in the past couple of years that UK climate change activists seem to have finally recognised that coal burning is the single biggest culprit. Steel manufacturing comprises perhaps the second biggest contributor to adverse global warming (between 3% and 7%, depending on which figures you believe), with cement production running a close third. If you calculate (few have) the greenhouse gas emissions consequent on burning uranium (ridiculously touted as a “clean” fuel), then the use of mined minerals constitutes, collectively, the biggest climate villain (and that’s without adding in the contribution – which is certainly not negligible – of constructing new mines and power plants to run them). There is also as yet little recognition – certainly at a policy level – that the hopes invested in carbon capture and storage from existing and future coal-fired power plants are false.
The world is in the grip of contradictory trends. On the one hand, we have ever bigger corporations laying claim to larger and larger tracts of land for the industrial production of food and biofuels and for mining, and, on the other, we have increasing community resistance over local projects. What is needed to make resistance more effective?
For a start, largely northern-based NGOs should stop laying down prescriptions; both the analysis and implementation of self-chosen strategies by communities resisting “development” have shot well ahead of many of those offered by desk-bound pontiffs elsewhere. In fact, by challenging specific projects (whether it be a coal mine, a biofuels plantation or a wildlife reserve) these communities are transforming the way the rest of us ought to think about “development”. In my opinion we should leave them to their own devices, while always being ready to offer support when asked (such as trying to cut off investment in companies like Vedanta, which mostly derives from European and US banks). The problem in determining the best strategy is not one, in my experience, that besets communities “at the rock face”. The retrievable, experiential, history of resisting bad mines goes back several hundred years (especially in Latin America). Increasingly I feel that it’s those of us outside the field of battle who don’t know what to do.

http://www.grain.org/seedling/?id=611


Further Papua violence likely: Australia
July 29, 2009 - 7:24PM
The federal government is warning of a risk of further violence near the Freeport mine in Indonesia's restive Papua province.
Three people have been killed, including 29-year-old Australian mine technician Drew Grant, and more than a dozen wounded in a series of ambushes near the Grasberg mining complex in recent weeks.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) on Wednesday updated its travel advice for Indonesia, warning "further violence is possible".
Police say at least seven people will face trial over this month's attacks, although it remains unclear who the perpetrators are.
This month's violence has been the worst at the mine since two American schoolteachers were killed there in 2002.
The controversial mine has been targeted with arson, roadside bombs and blockades since production began in the 1970s during the Suharto years.
DFAT's overall travel advice for Indonesia remains "reconsider your need to travel".
On July 19, DFAT warned of the possibility of further terrorist attacks in Indonesia in the wake of twin suicide bomb attacks on two luxury hotels in Jakarta.
Three Australians - Nathan Verity, Craig Senger and Garth McEvoy - were among the nine killed in the attacks on the JW Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton hotels.

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-world/further-papua-violence-likely-australia-20090729-e1g8.html

IMF consideration predated global financial collapse - Shaw
Published: Wednesday | July 29, 2009

Finance Minister Audley Shaw was warmly applauded in South Miami last Sunday when he told a large congregation of Jamaicans celebrating the nation's 47th anniversary that the country was again going to borrow from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Despite bad weather, approximately 700 people, mostly Jamaicans, attended the special service at the Kendall Community Church of God. Also in attendance was Sandra Grant-Griffiths, consul general for Miami.
Shaw said in his special address that consideration of seeking IMF loans "predated the globalfinancial collapse". He pointed out, for example, that bauxite and alumina earnings had plunged 97 per cent and other distress signals had come from troubling decline in revenue from remittances and tourism.
He described the nation's current economic reality as equivalent to the impact of an 'earthquake shock measuring 8 on the Richter scale'.
Cut in transfer fees
Despite the immensity of the challenges, however, Shaw expressed optimism in the people of Jamaica to survive and thrive, because of innate "strength, capacity and potential". He said the IMF reduced interest of two per cent on loans was attractive and that IMF demand for evidence of 'good governance' was reasonable. He said, "For too long we have drifted; we need good governance."
In revealing some of the strategies for recovery that the Government intended to pursue, one in particular drew applause, having to do with a radical cut in property transfer fees, from 10.5 per cent to 5.5 per cent, and the effecting of the process within three months.
Arthur Bell did a well researched presentation on the minister, tracing his academic, professional and political careers.
Chair was Don Daly, noted media communicator, who eloquently and efficiently handled the proceedings.
A combined choir of the Kendall church and the Jamaica Nurses Association of Florida, rendered items and a group from the Second Baptist Church offered a liturgical dance.
Senior Pastor Dr Michael Curry delivered the Biblical message and his wife the Rev Carol Curry offered the benediction, following the singing of Vivian Virtue's moving hymn I Vow to Thee My Country.

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090729/news/news2.html

Greenhouse worry from mine plan, says ACF
Posted 10 hours 18 minutes ago
Updated 10 hours 12 minutes ago

ACF argues greenhouse concerns (ABC News: Andrew Fisher)
• Map: Roxby Downs 5725
The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) says the South Australian Government should approve BHP Billiton's Olympic Dam mining expansion only if the company pledges to use 100 per cent renewable energy.
The ACF says the current expansion plan would increase South Australia's greenhouse gas emissions by 12 per cent by 2021.
Tony Mohr from the Foundation says BHP Billiton has misled the public by claiming renewable energy could not supply all the mine's power needs.
He thinks wind, solar and geothermal energy are viable options.
"BHP hasn't actually assessed all of the options available for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from this mine," he said.
"BHP needs to come forward with the full proposal for renewable energy for powering the mine site and that would halve the greenhouse gas emissions from this proposal."
'Big problem'
Mr Mohr says a rise in greenhouse gas emissions of at least 4.1 million tonnes per year would equate to putting more than one million inefficient cars on the roads.
"BHP has put forward its proposal for the Olympic Dam uranium mine and in its EIS (environmental impact statement) it's outlined the full extent of the greenhouse gas emissions for that mine," he said.
"BHP is set to create a big problem for South Australia's greenhouse gas emissions, with the mine creating more emissions than South Australia's entire car fleet."
The South Australian Government says the ACF should put its questions to BHP Billiton before EIS submissions close next month.
BHP Billiton will not comment but the EIS said it was considering renewable energy measures

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/07/29/2639482.htm?section=justin

JAMAICA'S FUTURE REQUIRES WE ADOPT A STRATEGY OF EXPORT LED GROWTH
By Keith Collister
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Just over four months ago, on March 25, I made a speech at the inaugural launch of the Dr Peter Phillips-led Roxborough Institute. The non-partisan panel had been given the task of trying to inform the Caribbean agenda for "The Summit of the Americas", as well as analysing the impact of the global financial crisis in Jamaica.
The speech was perhaps appropriately published as the article "Is this the day Jamaica stopped muddling through" on April Fools Day in the Observer.
The speech noted that a list of Jamaica's top 10 export goods in 2006 (well before the impact of the financial crisis) clearly showed how unsuccessful the country has been in growing its merchandise exports over many decades, with the result that we had totally failed to diversify our economy.
According to the then "draft" national export strategy, in 2006 alumina and aluminium ores (bauxite) were first and third respectively, or US$1,347 million and US$96 million, while old staple sugar still occupied fourth place at US$96 million.
At the time, the banana industry's export revenues of a mere US$16 million were still enough to get it into the top ten list, while remnants of our textile industry managed to export US$23 million to take the number eight slot.
An updated list would reveal Jamaica as no longer exporting bananas or textiles in any quantity, and that the main player in the local rum industry has joined beer in foreign hands, as well as the absolute devastation of the bauxite/alumina industry, particularly over the past six months, as a result of the crisis.
Production of alumina in June 2009 fell by 65.6 per cent alongside a 62.7 per cent reduction in exports compared with June of last year. For the first six months to June, Alumina production and exports declined by 54.9 per cent and 47.8 per cent respectively compared with the same period last year. Crude bauxite production and exports declined by 65.1 per cent and 59.8 per cent in June over June last year, and by 44 per cent and 42.8 per cent for the six months to June compared with the same period last year.
Ethanol is Jamaica's only new merchandise export success
The only major new merchandise export success in 2006 was ethanol, then at number two with exports of US$175 million. The industry has seen significant new investment since then, the most notable of which is the investment of local conglomerate Jamaica Broilers. According to its vice president of Finance and Energy Operations, Ian Parsad, Jamaica Broilers has invested approximately US$42 million in its ethanol operation at Port Esquivel over the past two-and-a-half years.
It was therefore heartening, and also very instructive, to attend the official signing of the US$7-million working capital facility from the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC), part of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), for Jamaica Broilers Group (JBG). According to deputy manager of the Inter-American Investment Corporation, Steven Reed, Broilers was attractive compared to many smaller local companies, which typically don't have the same depth of management, years of experience, diversity of business and corresponding lack of over-dependence on any one product line, and prospects for future growth. Although Reed stated that JBG had been on its "radar screen" for some time because it was "well banked" with a good balance sheet, the IIC hadn't been able to find the "right opportunity" to engage JBG.
Through a "reintroduction" by Jamaica's Washington-based Ambassador Richard Bernal (the alternate executive Director for the IDB), the IIC now had the "opportunity and privilege" of working with the company to address its need for longer term financing.
While JBG is an extremely welcome local success story, its new ethanol business is still dependent on the two-decades-old protective tariff that came out of the politically driven Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI). Jamaica still faces the consequences of literally decades of failure in creating new export industries, or what some academics call a lack of industrial self-discovery. Jamaica needs to implement a strategy of export-led growth now, or, put more urgently, a strategy of "export or die". It must also be noted that all the time we have wasted means that we would be trying to implement such a strategy in the weakest environment for international trade since the second world war, when even the exports of the so-called Asian Tigers have been collapsing.
It therefore seems appropriate to revisit the thoughts of Mr Wendell Mottley, managing director of Emerging Markets at Credit Suisse based in New York, and a former minister of finance in Trinidad and Tobago. In an impassioned presentation last October at an NCB seminar 'Regional Perspective - Success Stories', Mr Mottley urged that Jamaicans "not give up hope".
Noting that in the 1990s Trinidad was in the same position of economic crisis as Jamaica is today, he argued that a sense of urgency has to be present for the change to be made. "Without the heavy direct investment and coordinating role of the state, Trinidad and Tobago's energy industrialisation would not have taken place."
Mottley suggested that Jamaica identify its "value proposition" based on distinct competitive advantages, establish a facilitative macroeconomic environment, and initiate the development of infrastructure (including human capital) required to support the roll-out of the value proposition.
All those factors together encouraged the foreign direct investment in Trinidad's energy industry, which played a vital role in the country's economic turnaround, as detailed by Mottley in his book Trinidad and Tobago Industrial Policy 1959-2008.
The first question to ask is whether the Caribbean has received any tangible benefit from the Summit of the Americas over the past four months since it was held, other than warm words and an attentive presidential ear. If not, I want to suggest again that there are currently important opportunities where the policy framework could be explicitly negotiated with President Obama as part of his drive to lower US health care costs. Education may present a similar opportunity.
Another critical element would be the adoption of a low corporate tax strategy for this and other similar industries. In the case of health care, it would be regarded as a reverse export (and therefore not subject to GCT) for a service delivered in Jamaica, and would pay corporate tax at only 10 per cent. US hospital groups would also be able to take advantage of Jamaica's double taxation treaties to offset against their US taxation. Rather than a cash-strapped government giving the new industry additional tax incentives, the Government could give the business land in return for a quota of Jamaicans (say 20 per cent) who would receive free health services. In addition, the Government could reform customs duties across the board to a low flat fee, say 10 per cent, for the very expensive specialised equipment that such a business would require. A sufficiently big industry of this type would produce enough revenue to cover most of the health needs of the entire Jamaican population - true free health care for all. Just one hospital in Thailand generates revenues of US$600 million, and an entire industry has grown up in nearby Mexico, treating Americans at a fraction of the cost in key medical areas such as cancer. The problems in bauxite, and the large retirement community in the parish, suggests that Manchester would appear to be an ideal location for such a facility, as of course would Montego Bay and Downtown Kingston as part of a redevelopment strategy.
A brief look at an advance copy of an excellent presentation for the second Roxborough Institute Public Forum on Wednesday, July 29 by Professor Avinash Persaud is also instructive.
Professor Persaud notes that the Caribbean's "long-term economic future lies with exporting expensive, weightless products that have a small environmental footprint, not products where export success depends on our manual labour being cheaper than elsewhere. When we are a developed Caribbean nation, our workforce will be finally transformed, from physical toil under the hot sun, to knowledge and creative work, carried out in inspiring locations."
He adds that "Around the world, with the advent of advances in ICT, knowledge workers are increasingly choosing to locate their work for lifestyle reasons. US fund management has moved from downtown Manhattan to Denver, Colorado for the skiing; to New Port Beach, California, for the surfing; to Fort Lauderdale, for the golf; and to Greenwich Connecticut for the schools. If you could choose to locate your work anywhere in the world without it causing any restraint to your business, why, oh why on earth would you not be in the Caribbean?" Why indeed?

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/magazines/Business/html/20090728T200000-0500_156335_OBS_JAMAICA_S_FUTURE_REQUIRES_WE_ADOPT_A_STRATEGY_OF_EXPORT_LED_GROWTH_.asp



Other News
Complaints for not furnishing information under RTI
________________________________________
15:39 IST
LOK SABHA

As per information provided by the Central Information Commission, the number of applications received by various public authorities during the years 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 were 24436, 171404 and 263261 respectively. Information in respect of the 2008-09 and current year are not available. During 2006-07, a total of 100411 applications were disposed of, but information about the disposal of applications for the other years and about the nature of applications received are not maintained centrally.

The Right to Information Act provides that the applications, who do not receive the solicited information, can file a complaint or an appeal with the Central Information Commission. Thus the Act has an inbuilt mechanism to deal with the complaints. The Commission received 18803 complaints and appeals during the period 2005-06 to 2007-08. The Commission found several persons guilty and imposed penalty in more than 200 cases.

This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Shri Prithviraj Chavan in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=51139

Recommendations for less Government Ministries
________________________________________
15:39 IST
LOK SABHA

The Administrative Reforms Commission has recommended for creation of lesser number of Ministries under the Government. The Administrative Reforms Commission in its report titled “Organisational Structure of Government of India” presented on 19th May 2009, has recommended that the structure of Government of India should be rationalized by grouping together closely related subjects in order to reduce the number of Ministries from 55 to about 20-25. The recommendations of the Commission are being examined by the Government.

This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Shri Prithviraj Chavan in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=51138

Rise in cases of HIV/Aids affected children
________________________________________
15:31 IST
Lok Sabha

With the expansion of Integrated Counseling and Testing Centres (ICTC) from 1476 to 5155 and facilities for providing treatment from 52 to 217, the number of detected HIV positive children increased from 2253 in November, 2006, to a cumulative total of 52,973 in May, 2009. The year-wise, state-wise number of HIV positive children is given in Annexure 1.

All HIV/AIDS patients are provided free laboratory investigations and treatment in various Government supported facilities. At present, 7,58,698 HIV+ persons are being provided services under National AIDS Control Programme (Phase-III).

For advanced cases of AIDS, free investigations and treatment facilities are available in 217 medical facilities where treatment is being provided with Anti-retroviral drugs to 2,32,908 patients, of whom 14,474 are children.

10 Centres of Excellence have also been established for providing second line Anti-retroviral Treatment to 460 patients who are resistant to first line ARV drugs. In addition, 7 Regional Pediatric Centres have also been established to treat complicated cases of AIDS in children. State-wise number of ART Centres and Centres of Excellence are given in Annexure 2.

Measures taken by the Government to check spread of HIV infection include Targeted Interventions for High Risk Groups, Blood Safety programme, Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Infections, Integrated Counseling and testing services, Prevention of Parent to Child transmission, condom promotion and public awareness programme.

The major source of infection in children is through vertical transmission of the HIV virus from their positive pregnant mother to the infant. To arrest this trend, the Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission (PPTCT) Programme is being implemented since 2002. Under this programme, services relating to short term prophylactic drug treatment and safe delivery practices including counseling & safe infant feeding methods are provided to HIV infected pregnant woman. In the year 2008, a total of 41 lakh pregnant women were counseled and tested, of whom 19,986 were found positive and 10,179 mother baby pair received prophylactic treatment to prevent transmission from infected mother to infant.

Comprehensive preventive, care and treatment services have resulted into stabilization of HIV epidemic. The prevalence of HIV has reduced from 0.45% in 2002 to 0.34% in 2007. Some high prevalence States like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra have also shown decline in HIV prevalence rates.

This information was given by Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=51135

Graft mars NREGS work: Govt
P B Chandra, TNN 29 July 2009, 02:50am IST
Print
Email
Discuss Bookmark/Share
Save
Comment
Text Size: |
JAIPUR: The state government on Tuesday admitted in the Vidhan Sabha that the speedy and time-bound implementation of work under National Rural


EmploymentGuarantee Scheme (NREGS) has suffered due to lack of transparency, corruption, lack of social audit at the start of the programme and lack of supervision of work by senior officials.

Replying to Ramnarayanyan Meena of Congress, rural development minister Bharat Singh said complaints have been received by the government regarding NREGS work. These complaints would now be examined by 53 retired officers who have been appointed as state observers. Since 2006-07, corruption continued unabated due to lack of monitoring of work. Many steps have been taken to address the grievances and complaints and the officials have been given the task to monitor the progress of work and a suggestion box would be put up at the worksite to enable the citizens send their suggestions, he added.

Bharat Singh said that the procurement of the building material required for work is being streamlined and after noticing the loopholes in the implementation of the programme because of lack of manpower it has been decided to appoint 11,315 regular workers to oversee the work. The engineers would be deputed to oversee the progress. Under this programme, computer operators would be deputed in the gram panchayat to keep the records. A foolproof arrangement has been ordered to measure the work undertaken in the land, probe job cards and financial irregularities, he added.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/City/Jaipur/Graft-mars-NREGS-work-Govt/articleshow/4831938.cms

Study report on NREGS
________________________________________
18:31 IST
RAJYA SABHA
The Minister of State in the Ministry of Rural Development Shri Pradeep Jain ‘Aditya’ today informed Rajya Sabha that the Harvard Centre for Population and Development Studies has observed that the potential of NREGA is not fully realized because the Scheme has led to inflation and undermines the self selection of the poor. However, the Ministry of Rural Development is not in agreement with this observation as the objective of NREGA is to supplement and not to substitute employment opportunities, including agriculture. The 100 days employment guarantee is to ensure that the rural households can demand employment during lean agricultural season. The self selection of the poor is evident from the share of women, SCs and STs Beneficiaries in the total mandays of employment generated during the last three years of implementation of the Act which is as under:
Category of beneficiary % of persondaysgenerated during 2006-07 % of persondaysgenerated during 2007-08 % of persondaysgenerated during 2008-09
Women 41% 43% 48%
SCs 25% 27% 29%
STs 36% 29% 25%
Replying to a question whether the study has found that higher NREGS wages undermine the self-selection of the poor on it and whether the study also warns that populists hikes in NREGS wages may further erode its potential for poverty reduction the Minister said it is not correct to say so. Wages are paid to the NREGA workers in accordance with the wage rate as provided in Section 6 of the Act. Section 6(1) provides that Central Government may, by notification, specify the wage rate for the purposes of this Act provided that the wage rate notified by the Centre shall not be less than Rs. 60 per day.
Section 6(2) of NREGA provides that until such time as a wage rate is fixed by the Central Government in respect of any area in a State, the minimum wage fixed by the State Governments under Section 3 of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 for agricultural labourers shall be the wage rate applicable to that area.

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=51119

29 July 2009


SIX KALAHARI BUSHMEN IMPRISONED FOR HUNTING


The Botswana government has
banned the Kalahari Bushmen
from hunting on their ancestral
land. © Survival Six Kalahari Bushmen in Botswana have been arrested and jailed, charged with hunting inside the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.

The Molepolole court is expected to rule on the charges on Monday. The case relates to two incidents, one earlier this year and the other in 2007.

Botswana High Court Judge Justice Phumaphi ruled in 2006 that forbidding the Bushmen from hunting for food was ‘tantamount to condemning [them] to death’. The historic ruling recognized the Bushmen’s right to live on their ancestral land, and condemned the government’s repeated evictions of Bushmen, its ban on hunting and its destruction of their water source.

The Botswana government has not granted a single hunting license for the reserve since 2001, despite the High Court ruling that its hunting ban was unlawful and unconstitutional.
At least 75 Bushmen have requested licenses.

Many Bushmen have returned home since the 2006 ruling, but many are still trapped in relocation camps which they call ‘places of death.’ The government has largely ignored the High Court ruling, continuing to deny the Bushmen access to water and refusing them permission to hunt.

Survival’s director, Stephen Corry, said today, ‘Jailing six Bushmen for hunting is an outrageous act of hypocrisy by the Botswana government, which is still refusing to respect the ruling of the country’s own High Court that the Bushmen must be allowed to live freely on their land. Forbidding them from hunting for food is illegal.’

http://www.survival-international.org/news/4806