| The GoM, which is meeting on July 6, is expected to make its views on iron ore exports and the Hoda committee recommendations public. R K Sharma, secretary general, Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (Fimi), confirmed that he had sent the letter. |
| He said that steel companies, which were urging for a ban on export of iron ore, were directly or indirectly exporting iron ore themselves. |
| The Fimi's letter to the steel minister, says that steel majors "� Tata Steel, Steel Authority of India (SAIL), JSPL and JSW Steel "� had directly or indirectly exported either iron ore fines or calibrated lump ore (CLO). |
| Sharma said in the letter the idea behind writing the letter was to bring to the notice of the steel minister that the steel companies were protesting against iron ore exports on the one hand, but were themselves exporting, either directly or by sale in the domestic market through traders, who export iron ore. However, the letter did mention that Tatas had stopped exporting iron ore directly. |
| The steel ministry, in turn, has forwarded the letter to S K Roongta, chairman of SAIL, B Muthuraman, managing director of Tata Steel, Sajjan Jindal, vice-chairman and managing director of JSW Steel, and Naveen Jindal, vice-chairman and managing director of JSPL, asking them to furnish replies on the basis of the Fimi's letter. |
| However, SAIL spokesperson said the company had not received any letter and said SAIL exported only 25,000 tonnes of micro iron ore fines, which was of no use, through a tender. The tender was floated by Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel in 2005-06. |
| Seshagiri Rao, director, finance, JSW Steel, said the company exported surplus pellets (value-added iron ore) around a year-and-a-half ago and since then they had not even exported pellets. The company had not received any letter. "If it comes, we will respond," he said. |
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