After three years Goa’s mining sector has exported its first consignment of iron ore to China, even as Chief Minister laxmikant Parsekar promised to bring the State’s mining industry on track as well as lobbying with the Central Government to do away with the 10 per cent iron ore export duty.
Parsekar flagged off the first vessel of 88,000 tonnes of iron ore on Monday morning on board the cargo ship MV Royal Sesa.
“Vedanta has taken the lead and I am hopeful that all other miners will follow suit. After a blanket ban of three years, the first vessel of Vedanta’s Sesa Goa Iron Ore is flagged today,” Parsekar said.
“I urge all the stakeholders including truck and barge owners to not create obstacles in the export of iron ore. We need to get the industry up and running,” the Chief Minister said.
Parsekar also said he would ask the Centre to further reduce the export duty on iron ore to make the industry viable.
“We will request the Central Government to withdraw this duty,” Parsekar said. Export duty on iron duty stood at 30 per cent a year ago, however, on the back of lobbying by the Goa iron ore industry, the price was slashed to 10 per cent. With falling prices in iron ore, the industry wants it withdrawn altogether.
Speaking last week, Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is the former Chief Minister of Goa, also said he would ‘talk to’ the concerned Ministry over withdrawing the order altogether.
Mining in Goa was ceased both by the State as well as the Central Government in 2012 following a Rs35,000 crore illegal mining scam which was unearthed by the Justice MB Shah Commission of inquiry appointed by the Union Mines Ministry.
later, the Supreme Court too banned the activity based on a petition filed by a PIl by Goa Foundation represented by noted lawyer Prashant Bhushan.
All top mining companies were indicted in the illegal mining scam exposed by the Justice MB Shah Commission, which had also pointed out to politician-bureaucrat-mining companies’ nexus. The Supreme Court had lifted the ban in April last year, but mining activity has resumed only now as mining companies had to obtain the necessary permissions and licences for resumption of excavation.