BHUBANESWAR: The state government is set to prepare an annual calendar for auction of major, critical and strategic minerals to ensure a steady supply of raw materials to industries for value addition and achieving self-sufficiency, which are vital for India’s energy security, electric mobility and digital growth.
The Directorate of Mines and Geology (DoMG) has prepared a list of major and critical mineral blocks indicating the resources available and status of exploration for consideration of the state government to include in the annual auction calendar.
“As many blocks put up for auction fail to attract the required technically-qualified bidders, forcing cancellations, the Ministry of Mines is pushing states to prepare and publish an annual auction calendar for mineral blocks with a view to ensure predictability and transparency in the auction process,” official sources said.
Attributing the poor response to major and critical mineral auctions to regulatory hurdles (for statutory clearances), high upfront costs, inadequate exploration data and uncertainty in returns, leading to cancellations and delays, the sources said the proposed annual calendar will bring clarity with definite timelines for operationalisation of the auctioned mines.
ln order to examine the suitability, status of exploration, readiness of the proposed blocks for auction and finalise the calendar, a meeting has been been scheduled to be held on January 3 under the chairmanship of the additional chief secretary, Steel and Mines department.
The DoMG has identified 35 major minerals blocks with significant deposit of bauxite, iron ore, manganese and iron ore, dolomite, gold, copper and gold, limestone and dolomite, in Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Mayurbhanj, Sambalpur, Rayagada and Kalahandi districts.
There are five critical mineral blocks with deposits of graphite in Rayagada and Kalahandi districts, and vanadiferous, magnetite and gold blocks in Mayurbhanj district for grant of composite licence (CL), two rare earth elements in Kalahandi and Mayurbhanj for exploration licence and six critical mineral blocks for grant of mining lease.