By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR: Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Shri Pralhad Joshi in a written reply in Lok Sabha on Wednesday said that the total production of iron ore in India increased during 2019-20 as compared to 2018- 19, but it decreased in 2020-21(P) as compared to 2019-20. The reason for decline in the production of iron ore was that the year 2020-21 was affected by the pandemic as well as large number of leases expiring on 31.03.2020.
During this period, Odisha increased its iron ore production by 35.02 Percent During 2021-22 followed by Jharkhand by 17.68% and Chhattisgarh 16.11%, Joshi added.
However, total production of iron ore in India increased by 27% during 2021-22 (April-January) as compared to the same period of the previous year. In the states of Andhra Pradesh, Goa and Maharashtra, the production of iron ore decreased during this period.
The Government has taken various steps to increase production and availability of iron ore, which inter-alia include Mining and Mineral Policy reforms to ensure enhanced production, early auction & operationalization of expired mines, ease of doing business, seamless transfer of all valid rights & approvals, incentivizing for starting of mining operation & dispatch, transfer of mining leases, allowing captive mines to sell upto 50% of the minerals produced, enhancing exploration activities, etc.
As per the NITI Aayog’s Strategy for New India @ 75 Report 2019, the objective was to “accelerate the growth of the mining sector from 3 per cent in 2017-18 to 14 per cent, with an average growth of 8.5 per cent during 2018-23, Joshi added.
