Mines ministry seeks expedition of projects
“The ministry has requested the plan panel to take up the issue with the ministries of Railways, Shipping, Road Transport, Civil Aviation and Power for expediting infrastructural projects in mineral-rich states,” an official with the Mines Ministry said.
According to Mines Ministry officials, several projects including roads, port development and railway connectivity across the country have been pending for the past many years due to various reasons including land acquisition and court litigation.
Construction of several port-connecting highways, including building a four-lane way from B C Road to Suratkal in Dakshina Kannada district, have been moving at snail’s pace due to problems in land acquisition. The 37-km road construction was started in 2005 and was supposed to be completed in 30 months.
Another major port-connecting project pending in Karnataka was the 167-km Hubli-Ankola railway line. Though the project was to be completed in October in 2009, it is still awaiting clearance from Environment Ministry, as the proposed line is passing through dense forest. Also, in the absence of direct railway line between Bellary to Karwar port, number of exporters are forced to send their ore from ports in Goa. Several MPs from northern Karnataka region have been urging the Centre to take immediate steps to construct this railway line.
The ministry also urged the Commission to take up the pending port improvement projects including development of inland waterways and installing better navigational aids.
As the Centre finalises the proposed Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Bill 2010, where mining companies have to share 26 per cent of their profit with the affected people, the Ministry wants to provide better infrastructure to the sectors connected to mining.