Rajasthan govt plans e-auctions for mines, minerals to boost production

The Rajasthan government is taking steps to boost mineral production in the state.
 

The e-auctions for three mining leases and six composite licences of five major minerals in nine blocks will be done soon.
 

Additional Chief Secretary (Mines and Petroleum) Subodh Agarwal said nine blocks of major minerals, including garnet, limestone, copper, iron ore, and magnesite, had been identified and were ready for auction.
 

After the formalities, the blocks will be identified on the e-portal of the Government of India.
 

Mines Minister Pramod Jain Bhaya said the auction of the mining plots increased the revenues of the state government and stopped illegal mining.
 

Agarwal said that auction for the composite licence for garnet in Bhilwara district and limestone in Kota and Banswara districts had been readied.
 

Similarly, the mining lease will be auctioned for amalgamated mineral copper in Alwar district, iron-ore in Bhilwara district, and magnesite in Udaipur district.
 

Four blocks of limestone and one block each of garnet and iron-ore will be auctioned for the composite licence, while the mining lease will be e-auctioned for one block each of limestone, amalgamated copper, and magnesite.
 

Agarwal said after the amendment to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 2015, in 2022-23, a maximum of nine blocks of major minerals had been readied for auction. Earlier, from 2016-17 till now, 17 mining lease blocks and four composite blocks were auctioned.
 

Of these a maximum of 16 blocks of limestone were auctioned. He said according to a rough estimate, the state government in the next 50 years would get revenues of Rs 1.08 trillion.
 

Agarwal said the exploration and mining of major minerals, along with the minor minerals, were being promoted.