The state-owned NMDC, which had to stop work at Bacheli mine in Chhattisgarh following the State government’s intervention, has resumed mining activity at the iron ore complex, a senior company official said.
NMDC Director (Production) PK Satpathy also said the matter is being discussed with the state authorities and the Ministry of Steel is being apprised of the present status.
According to sources, the firm’s operations at the mine in Bacheli were halted on June 11 after state government officials said the “storing area at loading plant is outside the mining area.” However, Satpathy said the mineral storing area falls within NMDC’s mining complex.
“For carrying out inspection by the State officials and on their verbal insistence, we stopped the work temporarily as they were taking measurements and surveying the areas.
“NMDC resumed all mining activities at the Bacheli mine and also loading activities at Kirandul mine from Saturday morning,” he told PTI .
Loading or storing area is where the mineral from a mine is stored before dispatch through railway rakes or roads.
The Bacheli mine, with production of 12 million tonne, accounts for about 40 per cent of NMDC’s total output of 33 million tonne per annum (mtpa).
Show-cause notice
Satpathy also said the company received a show-cause notice on the evening of June 13 (Saturday) from the Chhattisgarh government pertaining to storage area in the loading plants of mines.
The next move of the company will be to reply to the notice and keep the administrative ministry informed, he said.
Asked about the details of NMDC mines in Chhattisgarh, he said the company has two mining complexes of total installed capacity of 29 mtpa.
“The company pays around ₹1,800 crore to the State government as taxes annually. Besides, it spends more than ₹150 crore annually in Chhattisgarh State itself on CSR activities which include education, medical care, infrastructure apart from providing skill development training for enhancing income generation of the local population,” he said.