Jharkhand government shuts 5 bauxite mines of Hindalco

The Jharkhand government has shut 5 bauxite mines of Hindalco Industries, flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group.

Jharkhand earlier ordered the closure of 12 iron ore mines and a few manganese mines in that state. These include SAIL’s mines in Budhaburu, Durgaiburu, and Kiriburu-Meghahatuburu and TATA Steel’s Noamundi mine.

The Shah commission said that in 2000-2009, the royalty per million tonnes of iron ore was meagre, adding, due to this, the lessees had recorded windfall profits. The report said that “During the deemed extension when unlawful mining was carried out, the loss to the state is required to be compensated by recovery of value equivalent to the market rate or export rate, whichever is applicable in individual cases, with exemplary penalty after following due course of law.”