Wednesday, Apr 30, 2003
Wednesday, Apr 30, 2003 |
| Southern States | ||
|
News:
Front Page |
National |
Southern States |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Southern States
-
Karnataka
By Our Staff Correspondent
To a question, he told presspersons that two private companies, Riotinto and DBS, had conducted a survey for the State Government to identify diamond deposits in Chitradurga, Tumkur, Raichur, Bellary, and Gulbarga districts. Other companies, mainly Australia-India Resources, Ramghad Mines and Minerals, HGML and NMDC, had conducted survey for gold deposits in Chitradurga, Kolar, Bellary and Raichur and Gadag districts. A good deposit of gold had been found in Gadag, north of KGF in Kolar District, and Raichur District. He said the results of the survey were reviewed at a meeting of the department in Bangalore on March 29 and the findings on diamond deposits in five districts and gold deposits in the said districts were "encouraging". To another question, Mr. Muniyappa said the Hutti Gold Mines Ltd. (HGML), which owned Ingaladal copper and gold mines on the outskirts of Chitradurga, had decided to go slow on mining, as it was not viable. The workers would be offered VRS and those who declined the offer would be rehabilitated. "At any cost, the workers will not be left in the lurch," he said. The minister said low concentration of gold in the ore deposits at the Ingaladal mines and high transportation cost of ore had made the HGML decide to close down the unit. Mr. Muniyappa said the Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd. had sought permission for mining in Hospet and Bellary after the Supreme Court set a five-year deadline to stop mining in the Western Ghats. The Government was likely to consider the request, he added.
Sand auction
Mr. Muniyappa said the State Government was thinking of auctioning sand in gram panchayat limits and giving half of the royalty earned to the panchayats for road development. The Government had decided to put an end to the illegal extraction of sand. The deputy commissioners and superintendents of police would be asked to take immediate action if they received any complaints about illegal transportation of sand. He said although the Government had decided to provide half the royalty to gram panchayats, the response from the latter was not encouraging. About granite exports, the minister said Karnataka's share in granite exports used to be 75 per cent. Now, it had come down to 15 per cent for various reasons, including changes in the world market. As a result, the royalty earned by the State Government had also declined. Mr. Muniyappa said expansion of highways and implementation of other road works and housing schemes had created a huge demand for building material, including granite. The Government hoped that this would result in higher royalty from quarrying units. It was considering regularisation of unauthorised quarrying. The minister said his department had set itself a target of Rs. 185 crore in royalty for 2003-04. Last year, it had earned Rs. 175 crore. Mr. Muniyappa was here to hold a divisional-level (north zone) official meeting of his department. The meeting discussed steps to prevent unlicensed quarrying, collect dues, and to prevent illegal transportation of sand. Prior to the meeting, the Belgaum Quarry Owners' Association submitted a memorandum to the minister pleading against the levy of royalty ranging from Rs. one lakh to Rs. three lakh a year on stone quarry units in Belgaum District.
Printer friendly
page
News:
Front Page |
National |
Southern States |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
|
|
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | Business Line | The Sportstar | Frontline | The Hindu eBooks | Home |
Copyright © 2003, The
Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu
|
