BHUBANESWAR : After completing the auction of nine mineral blocks in the current financial year, the State government has issued a notice inviting tender for grant of mining lease to six mineral blocks through e-auction.
The six blocks include one iron ore and manganese, four limestone and one graphite mines. While the limestone and graphite blocks are unmined, it is the government’s second attempt to auction the Teherai iron and manganese block. Tarama Apartment Private Limited (TAPL) is barred from participating in the auction of this particular block.
TAPL was the successful bidder for Teherai composite block on February 15, 2020. However, the company surrendered the block by forfeiting security deposits after finding it unsustainable. The four limestone blocks to be auctioned are located at Piplamunda under Kantabanji tehsil of Balangir district, Garramura under Kharia tehsil of Nuapada, Uskalvagu in Malkangiri and Behera-Banjipalli in Ambabhona block of Bargarh district.
The Uskalvagu limestone block spread over 5.47 sq km has the highest reserve of 189.52 million tonnes among the four blocks. The only graphite block at Naringpanga with a geological reserve of 0.142 million tonnes is in Rayagada district. The auction will be held in electronic mode.
The Directorate of Mines of the Steel and Mines department has invited the financial bid only in digital format while technical bid has been invited through both digital and physical formats. While the last date for purchase of tender documents is November 29, bids can be submitted by December 6, 2021.
The price of tender documents for each limestone block is Rs 2 lakh and Rs 5 lakh for the Teherai iron ore and manganese block. The State government had invited tender for auction of 11 mineral blocks including seven iron ore mines, two iron ore and manganese mines, one iron ore and dolomite and one bauxite block.
Auction of nine of the 11 blocks was completed by October 5, 2021. Rungta Mines was the most successful bidder by winning three virgin iron ore mines.
ESL Steel, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources, bagged Nadidih iron ore block (BICO) and Nadidih iron ore and manganese block in Sundargarh district. The other successful winners were Jindal Steel and Power (Kasia iron ore and dolomite block), Tata Steel - Gandhalpada iron ore block, Kashvi Power and Steel - Doltapahar iron ore block and Raga Tradecon Ltd - Netrabandha Paha (West).