Iron ore belonging to major companies exported from NMPT

Iron ore belonging to major companies exported from NMPT

Mangaloretoday News Network

Mangalore, March 28: Around 1 lakh tons of iron ore has been exported to China from the New Mangalore Port after the Supreme Court permitted the export of iron ore that had been lying around at major ports ever since the state government banned the export of iron ore.

Sesa Goa and MEL (Mineral Enterprises Ltd.) have been permitted to export iron ore laying around at the port. The first consignment of 27,000 tons belonging to Sesa Goa was sent on March 18 and the second consignment of 72,800 tons belonging to MEL was sent on March 26. A total of 97,800 tons of the 2.3 lakh tons of iron ore lying around in the New Mangalore Port has already been cleared.

Following allegations of illegal mining in mid-2010, the state government had banned the export of iron ore. The Supreme Court later permitted the export of iron ore that has already been lying around at major ports after examining a writ petition. The rest of the 2.3 lakh tons of iron ore at NMPT belongs to minor exporters who will require more time to move it, said the port sources.

M. Shekar Poojari, the president of the Association of New Mangalore Port Stevedores, said that the Supreme Court ruling will not be of much use to minor exporters because the quantity of iron ore they have in the port is too small to be exported. The state government ban has had an adverse effect on 7000 workers and 2,300 truck drivers, who are now jobless, he said and added that the port has incurred a huge loss because machinery worth crores was now lying useless at the port.

The port exported around 8.38 lakh metric tons of iron ore in 2010 – 11 to date as against the 52 lakh metric tons it could export in 2009 – 10.