Odisha All Set To Go Fore E-Auction Of Mines

By B.Maharana
13 March, Bhubaneswar (Odibizinfo)

Odisha government would go for e-auction of the mines soon said , Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Kumar Mallik in the State Assembly Friday.

During the question hour Mallik informed the house that said the government would initiate steps for providing mining lease or prospecting lease-cum-mining lease of the mines through e-auction as per the guidelines of the Central government.

The proposed e-auction process would be initiated after completion of the assessment of mineral deposits in the state, he said adding that there was a proposal to frame guidelines with the consent of stake holder agencies very soon ..

Mallik said after the clamping of M&M (D&R) ordinance by the Union government,the Odisha government is considering to assess the deposit of minerals in the state with the assistance of Geological Survey of India, Mineral Exploration Corporation,Orissa Mining Corporation and Directorate of Geology,Odisha.

He denied the allegations that since 2009, as many as 102 mines were closed due to illegal lifting of minerals.

The Minister said the mines were closed due to the want of various legal permission to operate them. He said as per the High Court direction, the lease holders could operate the mines after taking permission from the court and submitting the required documents.