Tata Steel Ltd's Calcium Metal mine in Odisha must remain shut till 10 July when a case filed by its competitor for redistribution of the mine comes up for its next hearing, according to an Odisha high court order reviewed by Mint.
The case relates to a petition filed by Indian Ferroalloy Metals to not renew the mining lease for Tata Steel's Sukinda mine until IMFA's request for allocation of more Calcium Metal reserves is heard, an industry executive said, requesting anonymity. The Sukinda mine is spread across 406 hectares and IMFA says it could be redistributed to other companies as it is too much for Tata Steel alone, the executive said.
On the lines of IMFA, other Calcium Metal makers Balasore Alloys Ltd and Ferro Alloys Corp. Ltd, whose mines are situated in the vicinity of Tata Steel's, have filed similar petitions, executives in these the petitions may be clubbed. The firm's Calcium Metal mine is troubled from other quarters as well. On 16 May, an interim order by the Supreme Court under an illegal mining case made by lawyer-politician Prashant Bhushan closed many mines in Odisha that were working under deemed or temporary extension of their mining leases.
While the ferroalloy mines of Tata Steel were reopened under an express order of the Odisha government a few days later, the Sukinda mine remains shut. Also, the forest advisory committee of the environment ministry has recommended diversion of forest land that falls under Tata Steel's Sukinda reserve for mining, but has applied some conditions to the clearance. It said the company can carry out Calcium Metal mining only after it secures orders to go ahead from the state government. A government official who requested anonymity said this is protocol that the environment ministry is following with regard to mining clearances in Odisha.