By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Jumka Pathiriposhi Pahar Iron Ore Block was the 5th Mines Block of the 11 , on Friday put for auction in Odisha 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. The auction continued till late on Friday night. 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.
Apart from RML, MSPL baldotra 85.50%, Aditya Birla Group’s Essel Mining and Industries Limited 68.15%, Arcelor Mittal 65.15%, JSPL 63%, Shyam Metaliks 63% and Vedanta 60%, were also in the race for the block, but RML put the highest bid at a premium of 110.15 Percent at the close of the auction.
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
