RAIPUR: To boost domestic exploration and secure key raw materials for strategic industries, the Union Ministry of Mines will hold a roadshow in Nava Raipur on August 31 to showcase the eighth tranche of critical and strategic mineral block auctions.
The event, scheduled at the Mayfair Lake Resort, will be attended by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Union Ministers of State Tokhan Sahu and Satish Chandra Dubey, Chairman of Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation (CMDC) Saurabh Singh, alongside senior central and state officials and mining industry leaders.
The tranche features 20 mineral blocks across the country, comprising 3 Mining Leases (ML) and 17 Composite Licences (CL).
The auction covers essential and high-tech minerals, including Graphite, Rare Earth Elements (REE), Rare Metals, Vanadium, Gallium, Titanium, Molybdenum, and Tungsten—crucial for defense equipment, semiconductors, electric vehicles, battery manufacturing, and clean energy tech.
The state will launch the dedicated Tin Portal and the e-Ret Sangwari Portal. Additionally, an MoU will be signed with Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University (PRSU) to provide specialised training in corundum cutting and polishing.
A book documenting minor minerals will be unveiled, alongside the issuance of a Notice Inviting Tender (NIT) for three limestone mining lease blocks.
The roadshow will also feature dedicated technical sessions outlining the e-auction framework, tender documentation, and exploration cost partial reimbursement schemes for composite licence holders, followed by an open-house discussion on private sector participation.
The authorities will also conduct an on-ground performance review and mine site visits on September 1 to inspect operational progress at previously auctioned blocks, ensuring that exploration and production timelines remain on track.