KIOCL to revive iron ore mining, to invest Rs 1,500 cr in new plant

Firm had suspended mining in the eco-sensitive Western Ghats following a Supreme Court order in 2006

State-owned KIOCL will revive mining after a decade in Karnataka, after the state granted the company a lease of over 474 hectares at Devadaru hills in Ballari. KIOCL had suspended mining in the eco-sensitive Western Ghats following a Supreme Court directive in 2006.

"The company has already prepared an action plan and initiated the process for obtaining the necessary statutory clearances," said Malay Chatterjee, CMD of KIOCL on Wednesday. Once approvals are given, it would invest Rs 1,500 crore in a pellet plant and also a unit to enrich iron ore from the mines.

After suspension of mining, KIOCL had shifted to