Mines ministry meet soon to speed up clearances for auctioned blocks

On facilitating the concerned states to expedite various clearances & approvals required for getting mines to commence operations

The central mines ministry has convened the second meeting on Post Auction Mining Clearance and Approvals Facilitator (PAMCAF) on September 8.

The meeting would take stock of the current status of the seven mineral blocks, which have been successfully auctioned. The meeting would also focus on facilitating the concerned states to expedite various clearances and approvals required for getting mines to commence operations.

Among the blocks auctioned is the Gudipadu limestone block in Andhra Pradesh bagged by Shree Penna Cement Industries Ltd. The Chhattisgarh government has auctioned three blocks — two limestone and one gold deposit. Vedanta Ltd has won the gold block.

The two limestone blocks have gone to Century Cement and Shree Cement. Jharkhand, too, has successfully auctioned two limestone blocks — Harihaspura Block-I and Harihaspura Block-II, where Burnpur Cement has emerged as the preferred bidder.

In Odisha, only one iron ore block — Ghoraburhani-Sagasahi has been auctioned with deposits of 99.54 million tonne. The Odisha government has issued the letter of intent to Essar Steel after it emerged as the preferred bidder in the first iron ore block offered for e-auctions in Odisha. The block is at G2 exploration stage and located in Koira sector in Sundargarh district. 

The mineral concession area is spread over 139.16 hectares (ha) including 20.88 ha forest land, 110.69 ha government land and the balance 7.58 ha private land. Survey of the mineral block has been done by the Geological Survey of India (GSI).

Currently, Essar Steel runs a 12 million tonne per annum (mtpa) iron ore beneficiation plant at Dabuna in Keonjhar district and six mtpa pelletisation complex at Paradeep. The iron ore mine in Odisha is expected to meet 50 per cent of the firm’s pellet making facility at Paradeep.