International mining meet in Goa this week
PTI, PANAJI | 15 November 2011 22:55 IST
Indian and international iron ore industry players and officials of the Union Steel Ministry will gather in Goa for two-day conference against the backdrop of crisis looming over the mining industry in the state.
`International Iron Ore and Steel Making Raw Materials Conference' will be held in Panaji on November 17-18.
Representatives from other countries including China, Australia and Indonesia are also expected to be present.
It is the initiative of Ore Team, an international research house.
"Senior officials from the Steel Ministry, including Joint Secretary U P Singh and Joint Executive Secretary of JPC (Joint Plant Committee) G K Basak, and top brass from Goa, Karnataka and Andhra will join the captains of the industry for brainstorming sessions in the backdrop of worsening situation in the sector," the organisers said today.
Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, Economic and Commercial Trade Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in India Peng Gang; H Srinivas, Director General of Mines, Karnataka; Arvind K Loliyekar, Director of Mines, Goa; and senior officials from Sesa Goa, Essel Mining, MMTC, SAIL, JSW, China-based Umetal, and Concord Fortune would attend the event.
"The Goa mining is going through an unprecedented crisis in the backdrop of Justice M B Shah Commission that is expected to submit its report (on illegal mining) soon. Conflicting reports have confounded the situation, especially about the possibility of a ban on iron ore export from Goa," said A K Verma, Director Ore Team India.
"Goa accounts for more than half of India's annual iron ore exports of 100 mt. Any ban on exports can be fatal for the local industry," he said.
The Dignitaries should be taken on an extensive tour of the mining ravaged parts of this small beautiful State and their opinion asked about the reclamation work done --after the ore has been exploited....