Orissa To Release Mining Policy Plan

5% Royalty Likely To Be Imposed

The government in the Indian state of Orissa government is to release policy guidelines regarding mining in the state.

The policy, which is aimed at developing and regulating the local mining industry, will focus more on the non-ferrous sector and comes at a time when issues such as illegal mining and land acquisition have come to the fore.

Industries to be affected by the guidelines are expected to below volume, high value non-ferrous minerals like gold, nickel, platinum and beach sand, however, the ferrous sector is likely to be affected by guidelines on the profitable use of low grade ores by using state-of-the-art technology in the benefication, sintering and pelletising process.

The state government has decided in principle that a royalty of 5% will be used for the development of people living mining areas. A committee has been formed to formulate the policy for the implementation of this decision.

Orissa has 17% of India’s total mineral reserves with 174 million tonnes of nickel ore, 82 million tonnes of beach sand minerals, 1,802 million tonne of bauxite, 180 million tonnes of chromite, 5,305 million tonne of iron ore and 65,353 million tonne of coal. There are also deposits of cobalt, copper ore, dolomite, lead & zinc ore, limestone, tin ore.