By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: On Sunday, Chandiposhi Iron Ore Block became the 7th block put auction in Odisha of the 11, which floor price started at 85.50% and till last reports came in, the figure reached at 87.80% till 03.19PM. The virgin block has an area of 131.58 hectares with exploration done up to G-2 level. The block has total geographical resources of 35.86 million tonnes Fe content of 58.81% and 11.21 million tonnes Fe content of 47.67%. Karnataka based Ramgad Mining and Minerals submitted the highest bid of 85.50% while Rungta Mines Limited, JSPL, Bajarang Ispat, Amalgam Steel, TP Sao and Sons, KJS Ahluwalia, AMNS, Vedanta , Bhushan Power and SJSPL are among 11 bidders are in race for the block. Already 5 blocks auctioned, confusion going on over 6th block of Purheibahal Iron Ore Block and 7th block of Chandiposhi put for auction.
Meanwhile, confusion continues to haunt Odisha Mining circles of Joda and Koira in twin districts of Sundargarh and Keonjhar , after one of the 7 bidders put a miracle premium of 1,234% from the floor price started at 81% by Rungta Mines Limited. Some believed, it was technical problem faced by MSTC while others believed, any of the 7 bidders might have done in mistake but till late night, the premium figure at MSTC website, which is conducting online auction, shows the same 1,234%. Rungta Mines Limited, AMNS, Eseel Mining, Ramgad Minerals, TP Sao and Sons, Amalgam Steel and Shyam Metaliks, were in race with Rungta Group heading the list in financial bidding. Sources said the block may face re auction as the premium amount not only surprising but also impossible task.
Earlier, Jumka Pathiriposhi Pahar Iron Ore Block was the 5th Mines Block put for auction with Jharkhand’s Chaibasa Headquarters’ Rungta Mines Limited, which had submitted highest financial bid of 86% for the said block and finally won it in auction at a premium of 110.15 Percent. It was RML’s first win in 2 phase of auction in last year and this year, after losing half dozen running blocks under Joda-Koira mining circles of Keonjhar-Sundargarh mineral belt of Odisha.
Earlier, Tata Group had won Gandhalpada Iron Ore Virgin Block at a Premium of 141.25 Percent. Gandhalpada Iron Ore virgin Block, was the 4th Block among 11 put for auction on Wednesday, in which Financial Bid started at a premium of 88.5 % and till 09.56 PM on Thursday, the figure touched at 141.25% with Tata Group winning the block. Of the 7 Virgin iron ore blocks, Gandhalpada block in Keonjhar district has the highest ore reserve of 314.37 MT, for which all major players interested to bag it.
So far, Vedanta Group’s ESL bagged 2 blocks of Nadidih Iron Ore and Manganese Block (FEEGRADE at a premium of 92.30 % and Nadidih Iron Ore Block (BICO) at a premium of 95.6% while Naveen Jindal led Jindal Steel and Power Limited had bagged the Kasia Iron Ore-Dolomite Mines block under Joda mining circle in Odisha’s mineral rich Keonjhar at a premium of 118.1%.
The Odisha government had put the auction of Karlapat iron ore and bauxite block on hold till further notice following a court order. Karlapat was among the 11 mineral blocks, including seven virgin mines, put up for auction by the Odisha government for which the bidding process underway. As the block lies near the Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary, a designated elephant corridor in Kalahandi district considered ecologically very sensitive, environmentalists were opposed to the mining operation in the area.
