By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR: Union Mines, Coal and Parliamentary Affairs, Pralhad Joshi was on Tuesday held a review meeting to know the progress made towards making 500 mineral blocks available for auctioning. This is part of a series of review meetings conducted over the last few weeks to follow up on mining reforms. These mineral blocks will generate lakhs of job opportunities and revenue to the States.
“Reviewed progress made towards making 500 mineral blocks available for auctioning. This is part of a series of review meetings conducted over the last few weeks to follow up on mining reforms. These mineral blocks will generate lakhs of job opportunities & revenue to the states,” Union Minister Pralhad Joshi tweeted @JoshiPralhad .
The Union government is considering a move to unlock about 500 mineral blocks through an open and transparent auction by repealing Section 10A2 (b) of MMDR Act. Over 500 non-coal mineral blocks, partially or minimally explored under current leases, but are entangled in legacy issues and litigation, will be up for grabs as the Cabinet approved a proposal to amend the relevant law for their re-allocations through competitive bidding. Also, the employment-intensive, but highly under-invested sector, will get a fillip from a Cabinet decision to do away with end-use restrictions for miners. Those with captive leases will be allowed to sell the minerals in the open market.The Cabinet also gave the go-ahead for reallocation of several non-producing blocks of the state-run companies, a move that could also enthuse the private players as many of these blocks have abundant proven resources.
Meanwhile, as many as 14 including virgin and operational mining blocks in Odisha waiting for auction. These blocks include Garamurarh, Behera-Bhanjipali, Pipalmunda, Naringpanga, Uskalvagu, Pureibahal, Chandiposhi, Jhumka Parthiriposi, Dholtapahad, Netrabandhapahad (west), Gandhalpada, Kasia, Unchabali and Kalimati. The 9 iron ore and manganese blocks ready for auction include Purheibahal, Chandiposhi, Gandhalpada, Netrabandha Pahar (west), Dholtapahar, Jumka Pathriposhi, Kalimati, Unchabali and Kasia. The Steel and Mines department had also decided to auction 5 other limestone and graphite mines. The estimated iron ore reserve in these blocks is 574 million tones located at Pureibahal (38.30 Million Tonnes), Chandiposhi (33.73 MT), Jhumka-Pathiriposi (114 MT), Dholtapahad (23.92 MT), Netrabandha Pahar-West (17.27 MT) in Sundaragarh district; and Rengalaberha-North-East (28.87 MT), Gandhalpada (314.37 MT), Unchabali (3.6 MT) and Kalimati in Kendujhar district. While Kalimati is a manganese block (0.686 MT) and Unchabali is a mix of iron and manganese, the rest blocks are iron ore. Iron ore is the raw material for steel production.
