BHUBANESWAR: Expediting the process for electronic auction of mineral blocks, a high-level committee (HLC) headed by Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy has cleared 20 mineral blocks for issue of notice inviting tender (NIT) and held up two blocks for further exploration.
The HLC, which met here recently, also decided to auction 19 minor mineral blocks including 11 dimension and decorative stone blocks and three quartz/quartizite blocks in the current financial year. Five khondalite blocks will be reserved for Jagannath Temple administration for repair works of the 12th century temple, informed sources said.
“It has been decided that NIT will be issued for 29 mineral blocks, both working and green field mines, in three phases beginning September 26. The next tentative dates fixed for issue of NIT are October 4 and 14,” the sources said.
Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Mallick said 16 mineral blocks explored to G-2 level and 24 working leases expiring on March 31, 2020 have been readied for auction during the current fiscal.
He, however, did not disclose the mineral blocks proposed to be auctioned in three phases saying details are being worked out.
Sources familiar with the development said the HLC has decided to go for auction of three iron ore blocks.
The State Government which had auctioned five mineral blocks including three iron ore blocks as per Mineral Auction Rules, 2015 by May 2017 could not proceed with e-auction in the last two years due to restriction imposed by the Delhi High Court.
After a gap of two and a half years, the Directorate of Mines issued NIT in July for five virgin blocks (four limestone and one graphite) and two chromite blocks for e-auction.
The seven blocks include four limestone mines located at Pipalmunda in Balangir district, Khatkurbahal (North) in Sundargarh, Behera Banjipali in Bargarh, Garramura in Nuapada and a graphite block at Jagdalpur in Rayagada district.
The four limestone blocks have a cumulative deposit of about 24 million tonne.Recently two more blocks, Naringpanga graphite block with a reserve of 0.33 million tonne in Rayagada district and Uskalvagu Limestone block in Malkangiri district have gone under hammer.