FYI - as the same situation applies to Jharkhand. This has become a serious issue in Orissa and lack of action by the State Government on this account is seen to indicate the stranglehold the mining companies and steel companies have on the establishment and the Government.
For me this indicates to what extent mining and steel companies have been able to rip off the people of Orissa, Jharkhand and Chattisgarh and the extent that they have been able to subvert our democracy that the Governments look for their interests rather then the State's interests. Regards Nachiketa ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Sandip Dasverma <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Feb 19, 2008 8:39 PM Subject: [focusorissa] Asia's top 3 steelmakers agree 65 pct rise in iron ore prices - Metal Place To: ORNET <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, OrissaTodaydigestsubscribers < [EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Agamiorissa Group < [EMAIL PROTECTED]>, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dear Friends:The price of Iron Ore is jumping leaps and bounds, while *Orissa is selling it at Rs. 27/Tonne as recommended by GOI, ministry of Mines. *In December after lot of public hue and cry the 5 CMs finally went to PM and made their case but instead of 50% ad Valorem price they demanded only 20%. Govt of India has floated a trial balloon of 7.5%. Though in the right direction it is too little too late. Last year Orissa miners exported Approx 50 MT and GOI got 135 crores(@Rs. 27/Tonne), *while international price of it soared to Rs. 7200/ Tonne*(Dec'07, spot price), (i.e. Rs. 36000 crores), which included ISPs. Have we seen any protest or any shouting from Orissa Govt, whose annual budget is only Rs. 4500 crores? Why so, one wonders. For sure at this rate Orissa will remain poor for ever, while Tatas, Mittals, Jindals and Poscos make super profits. In the mean time coal prices, for which mines will be allocated for a nominal price to all of the above,ballooned.It increased from $40 in 2007 to $120 in 2008 January/Tonne<http://rrrights.blogspot.com/2008/02/coal-prices-surge-20-in-2003-to-120-in.html> . Why can't the Royalty be 50% of the International Market price. As will be clear from the below article POSCO will pay similar price to the other miners. *"Ko Min-Jin, a spokeswoman for Posco, said the group will consider raising prices of its products after completing negotiations with other miners." *Best wishes, Sandip http://metalsplace.com/news/?a=17734 18 February 2008 Asia's top 3 steelmakers agree 65 pct rise in iron ore prces with Vale UPDATE Asia's three-biggest steelmakers have agreed to a 65 pct increase in iron<http://metalsplace.com/news/?s=10>ore prices following negotiations with Brazil's Vale, the world's biggest iron <http://metalsplace.com/news/?s=10> ore producer, in a move likely to set the global benchmark for the raw material. JFE Holdings, Nippon Steel and Posco have agreed to pay 78.88 usd a ton for iron <http://metalsplace.com/news/?s=10> ore starting from April 1, also heralding an increase in steel prices. BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, the world's second- and third-largest producers, are expected to follow suit. A spokesman for BHP declined to comment on the negotiations, while Rio Tinto could not immediately be reached for comment. Steelmakers agreed last year to a 9.5 pct increase in iron<http://metalsplace.com/news/?s=10>ore prices but since then spot prices have jumped about 150 pct as demand has soared, leading the market to expect an increase of about 60 pct in the contract price this year. A 65 pct jump is the second biggest rise after 2005's 71 pct spike. Demand for iron <http://metalsplace.com/news/?s=10> ore, a key material in steel, has soared due to growing demand led by a construction boom in China and India. Steelmakers also face increasing costs for coal and coke. Ko Min-Jin, a spokeswoman for Posco, said the group will consider raising prices of its products after completing negotiations with other miners. Katsuaki Watanabe, president of Toyota Motor Corp, said Japan's top-ranked automaker had no immediate plans to raise car prices. At 9.25 am, shares in Rio Tinto were up 74 pence, or 1.4 pct, at 5,567 pence, while BHP was up 24p, or 1.6 pct, at 1,575p.* – Thomson Financial* -- Sandip K. Dasverma Richland, WA-99354, USA Message: Use Compact Fluorescent Lamps(CFL) to replace filament bulbs. Save trees, save energy and save money. And now they are <$1/piece. See video: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2007/04/30/VI2007043000417.htm
