BHUBANESWAR: The Mahulsukha Iron and Manganese Ore block of Aryan Mining and Trading Corporation (AMTC) was bagged by Patnaik Minerals Private Limited (PMPL) with a premium of 92.7 per cent.Patnaik Minerals Private Limited, the current lease holder of Jaribahal iron ore block in Keonjhar district, emerged the preferred bidder among seven companies competing for Mahulsukha block.The other six qualified bidders were TP Sao, Lal Trades and Agencies, GV Mines Mineral and Metals, Feegrade and Company, Yazdani Steel and Power and Shyam Ores.
Sao has given the highest offer 77 pc premium followed by Lal Trades 76.70 pc, GV Mines 76.50 pc, Freegrade 76.15 pc, Yazdani 57.55 pc, Patnaik Minerals 57 pc and Shyam Ore 56 pc.AMTC, the lease holder of Narayanposhi iron ore and manganese mines spread over an area of 349.254 hectares and Mahulsukha manganese mines (399.838 hectares) in Koira mining circle of Sundargarh district was in the thick of controversy when Justice MB Shah Commission, probing into illegal mining of iron and manganese ores in Odisha, questioned how a British company was allowed to take over a majority stake of the lease holder with approval of the Government.
Stemcor Holdings, a London headquartered steel trading company, assumed management control of AMTC on October 28, 2008.The British company had a subsidiary in Brahmani River Pellets Ltd (BRPL) having a four million tonne per annum (Mtpa) beneficiation plant at Barbil and a pellet plant complex at Jajpur, connected by a 220 km underground slurry pipeline. Stemcor was also a stakeholder in Mideast Integrated Steel Ltd (MISL).
The overseas company sold its Odisha assets to JSW Steel and Triveni Earth Movers Limited, a mineral raising company.Meanwhile, Kolkata-based Khatua Narbheram & Company won Koida-II iron ore mines by offering a premium of 90.90 pc. There were nine companies in the race for Koida-II. The companies vied for the iron ore block include Shyam Steel, Super Smelter, Bhagabati Power, API Ispat, Shree Bajrang Steels, TP Sao, Shyam SEL and Gallent Ispat.
The Koida-II mines, spreading over 74.867 hectares, is estimated to have mineral reserve of 27.188 million pig iron grade iron ores. The Jaribahal iron ore block of PMPL is scheduled for e-auction on February 14.Next in the line of e-auction is Nidhidih Iron and Manganese Mine in Sundargargh district. Ten of the 19 bidders have qualified for final bidding to be held on Sunday.