By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: The Steel and Mines Department of Odisha on Saturday began the financial bidding as part second round of auction of 11 blocks and put the Kasia Iron Ore-Dolomite Mines spread over 194.19 hectares, of the 11 Blocks put for auction on the first Day. The composite block comes under Joda mining circle of State’s mineral rich Keonjhar. Essel Mining and Industries Limited of Aditya Birla Group as the previous lease holder of Kasia block.
As many as 13 companies had submitted bids for the Kasia block while only 7 cleared the technical bidding round and in race for this block. The entire financial bidding process will be completed in 10 days following which lease deeds will be signed with the preferred bidders.
Total 123 bids have been received by the State for the 11 mineral deposits. The total blocks include Kasia, Nadidih (Bico), Nadidih (Feegrade), Teherai, Pureibahal, Chandiposhi, Jumka, Dholtapahar, Netrabandha Pahar (West), Gandhalpada and Karlapat.
After auction of these five blocks, the government would initiate second round of auction likely in October during which as many as 5 mineral deposits will be auctioned. These include Pipalmunda, Garamurarh, Uskalvagu, Behera-Bhanjipali dolomite blocks and Naringpanga graphite block.
Further, Sociedade De Fomento Industrial Private Ltd, Vishal LPG Industries and Tarama Apartment Private Ltd are debarred from participating in Nadidih Iron Ore Block (BICO), Nadidih Iron Ore and Manganese Block (FEEGRADE) and Teherai Iron Ore and Manganese Block, respectively.
The state auctioned all the 24 mines in FY21 whose lease got expired. As on date ,19 of the 24 auctioned mines have already started operation and production.These 24 Mines holds Iron Ore 1716.92 mt, Manganese 8.77 mt and Chrome Ore having 104.96 mt, which was worth Rs.4,87,082.55 Crore. Out of 24 Mineral Blocks, 11 are in Keonjhar, 8 in Sundargarh 03 in Jajpur and 1 in Mayurbhanj. Out of the 24 auctioned mines, production also started at 19 of these.
