India’s Karnataka state allows iron ore transportation to Goa again

The Indian English-language newspaper The Times of India has reported that the Indian state of Karnataka has lifted the ban on heavy vehicles carrying iron ore from entering district highways. This will benefit six steel plants in Goa that depend on iron ore from the neighboring state of Karnataka for production.
Confirming the lifting of the ban, industries committee chairman of the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Manguirish Pai Raikar said, "We had a meeting with the district commissioner of North Kannara district on Thursday. We convinced him that six pig iron plants in the state consume raw material from Karnataka and do not export it. After being convinced of the same, the authorities have permitted heavy vehicles carrying iron ore to these six units registered with the GCCI to enter district highways."
 
According to the report, almost 5,000 metric tons of iron ore are brought into the state everyday for use by pig iron and sponge iron plants. The GCCI had prepared a list of the six pig iron plants in Goa which use high grade iron ore from Karnataka as raw material. They also prepared statistics of how much iron ore is purchased from Karnataka by these plants and how it is used for production and not for export and submitted the same to the authorities in the neighboring state.
 
On May 22 this year, Karnataka state had banned the entry of heavy vehicles from its district and the order was implemented on July 24, subsequent to which no trucks carrying high grade iron ore have entered Goa. The movement of trucks was prohibited up to September 30.
 
The plants that will benefit most from this decision are Aparant Iron and Steel, Sesa Industries, Shradha Ispat, Ambey Metallic, Goa Sponge and Power and Shrithik Ispat.