Team News Riveting
Raipur, December 28
National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) has received respite from the Chhattisgarh High Court (HC) that facilitates the state-run miner to transport iron ore from its Chhattisgarh facilities.
Last week, the forest department of Chhattisgarh government had seized the transit permit (TP) books issued to the country’s largest iron ore producer having mechanised iron-ore mines in state’s Dantewada district. The move stranded the transportation of iron ore by rail and road routes.
The department cited non-payment of transit fee required to transport the minerals from the forest land.
The Maharatna public sector enterprise (petitioner) moved to the Chhattisgarh High Court and challenged the order dated November 23, 2022 whereby, the respondents (state government and forest department) have retrospectively levied transit fee of Rs 1,44,62,65, 632,00 consolidated for both the units (Bacheli and Kirandul) of the petitioner under the provisions of Chhattisgarh Transit (Forest Produce) Rules 2001 and consequential notification dated June 14, 2002@ Rs. 7,00 per tonne on the transportation of iron ore from June 14, 2002 to October 31, 2012.
“Considering the submission that details of transit fee payable by the petitioners have also not been brought to their notice, also considering the fact that for the subsequent period from 2013 the petitioners are paying the transit fee regularly, as an interim measure it is directed the respondents shall be restrained from interfering in the transportation of ore from the mines of the petitioner till the next date of hearing,” Justice Narendra Kumar Vyas said in his order that was passed on Saturday.
The order underlined that the state government would allow the NMDC to transport the steel making raw material from its mines till the next date of hearing.
The court had posted the matter for further proceedings on January 12, 2023.
