Mangalore, April 19: In a sigh of relief after almost a gap of gruelling ten years Kudremukh Iron and Ore Company Limited (KIOCL) has finally been permitted by Andhra government for conducting mining activities in Anantapura district.
Andhra Pradesh government issued an order to this effect following an agreement between KIOCL officials and Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation.
Sources said KIOCL has proposed to construct a pellitization plant with a capacity of 1.2 to 2.4 million tones, subject to availability of mineral deposits. The Pelletization plant of Panambur had not been functional and remained idle for the past several years.
The KIOCL has thanked AP Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy and his cabinet colleagues for this gesture of according permission to the company for mining activities.
It has also been reported that after the lease period for mining activities in Kudremukh area had expired, there had been number of petitions and demands seeking to seize the activities because of environmental pollution caused in the mining area.
After the Supreme Court issued an order in 2006 to suspend its activities, the company’s activities had come to an abrupt end. The company was one of the government-owned companies with high profit during that period.
Pellitization plant at Panambur was working for few years even after the suspension of mining activites.A pig iron manufacturing unit had also been opened by the company.
The company is hoping to bounce back to its past glory with the fresh lease of life it has now got in the form of permission to conduct mining activities in AP.
