ArcelorMittal to continue coal mining in Siberia

MOSCOW: Steel giant ArcelorMittal, owned by NRI tycoon Laxmi Mittal, will continue coal mining operations in Siberia and no miners would be laid-off.

According to an agreement reached between the regional government of Russia's coal mining region of Kemerovo in Western Siberia and ArcelorMittal, the trans-national corporation will invest in the Pervomaiskaya mine's modernisation to keep it functioning in accordance with the local labour and ecological laws.

In exchange for the efforts of ArcelorMittal, the local government would ensure the sale of coal produced by it, the ITAR-TASS reported.

Earlier, the steel giant had planned to close Pervomaiskaya coal complex and to offer early retirement to workers. Following which, local governor Amana Tuleyev had sent an angry telegram to Mittal to hand over the control of mine to the Kemerovo government and warned that his licence for the exploration and mining of a new prospective coal deposit would be cancelled.

ArcelorMittal owns Pervomaiskya mine in the town of Beryozovsky and 'Anzherskoye' in Anzhero-Suzhensk situated in the Kemerovo region's coal basin.