Team Herald
PANJIM: Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phal Desai has urged the Centre to restore export duty to zero per cent for low grade iron ore and to exempt Goa from compulsion of beneficiation of low grade iron ore so that the State can further strengthen in its export network across the globe after resumption of mining activity.
Speaking at the two-day national Mines Ministers conference at Hyderabad, Phal Desai said that the Goa government is ready with tender notices for issue of first notice for auctioning of iron ore mining leases shortly. “We have onboard SVI Caps MECL and MSDC to assist the government in the process of auctioning iron ore,” he said.
In order to resume mining activity and to ensure robust response to auctioning, he urged the Union government to restore zero per cent export duty for low grade iron ore. The export duty is now raised to 50 per cent on all types of Fe grades. Goa’s iron ore has no domestic market nor it can participate in the export to foreign countries, he pointed out.
Referring to compulsion on beneficiation of low grade iron ore by the Mines Ministry, Phal Desai said that beneficiation is not practical in Goa as average grade in the State ranges from 50 to 56 per cent. The past experience indicate that beneficiation plants have failed in the State considering no recovery and marginal improvement in Fe content after beneficiation.
Phal Desai said that Goa’s low grade iron ore has limited domestic demand. He said that mining is also the economic backbone of the State.
