BHUBANESWAR: After inviting bids for eight major mineral blocks, the Odisha government is all set to go for auction of its newly-identified 636 minor minerals sites spread over 17 districts.
Sources said the minor mineral deposits include sand, stone, laterite, morrum, and other minor minerals crucial for construction and infrastructure development. They are spread across districts of Angul, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Khurda, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Ganjam, among others.
The auction process will begin once the district survey reports (DSRs) are approved by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA). The directorate of minor minerals, which conducted the survey of mineral sources in coordination with the district administrations, has also initiated steps to operationalise the non-functional sources. A senior official of the Steel and Mines department said the identification of new mineral sources will help curb illegal mining, ensure a steady supply of raw materials for construction projects, and boost revenue for the state.
At a recent high-level meeting chaired by chief secretary Manoj Ahuja, it has been decided to increase the number of operational sources in order to cater to the needs of minor minerals for various developmental projects. Each district has been asked to identify new sources of minor minerals, including sand and blackstone up to 150 per cent of their current sources and prepare the DSRs by August. The mineral sources will be auctioned by October this year.
Collectors have been asked to identify areas where illegal mining is going on or has taken place, so that these mineral sources, wherever possible can be re-auctioned for use following the procedures and rules. As the cost of additional charges for the minor mineral varies from source to source, it has been decided to calculate the weighted average of all the sources.
“For each district, weighted average cost for the minor mineral would be published by the Steel and Mines department based on the input from the directorate of minor minerals and it would be revised every three years,” the official informed.
Meanwhile, the chief secretary has directed all collectors and SPs to intensify enforcement drives and conduct raids to curb illegal mining and transportation of minerals.