Remove restrictions on iron ore pellet export from Karnataka: CEC

The Central Empowered Committee (CEC), set up by the Supreme Court on mining matters, has recommended that the restriction on export of iron ore pellets from Karnataka be removed, which the Union steel ministry and state government also support.

The SC has for some years been deciding how much ore may be produced in Karnataka and the mode of sale, after a spate of illegal mining cases.

The CEC has said allowing pellet export would generate more demand for ore produced in Karnataka, which has seen a slump. In 2017-18, the cumulative quantity offered for sale was 44.6 million tonnes (mt); sales