Raghunath Mohanty, the minister of steel and mines of the eastern Indian state of Orissa, has said that the state government has issued a notice to all the producers, traders and exporters of the Joda and Barbil mines in the Keonjhar district to stop supplying iron ore. The government of Orissa has been tracking companies who have been mining and exporting illegally. The Orissa authorities have asked the companies in question to submit their audited balance sheets along with procurement details for the last four years.
Following the mining ban in Karnataka state and restrictions on iron ore supply from Goa, most domestic steel mills turned to purchase iron ore from the state of Orissa. Analysts state that the action by the Orissa government will affect steel companies which buy iron ore from Orissa state, such as JSW Steel and Tata Steel.
The state of Orissa produces about 75 million metric tons of iron ore fines and lumps annually.