5 limestone blocks to go under the hammer tomorrow

Five limestone mines in Rajasthan with reserves of 967.6 million tonne (MT) are likely to go under the hammer tomorrow, according to the mines ministry.
The government had invited tender for the bidding in December last year, it said.
The ministry said eight more mineral blocks, including iron ore and graphite, in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh, would be put up for auction in March and April.
A total of 88 major mineral blocks have been notified by nine states for bidding and 33 blocks have been successfully auctioned.
The recent amendment to the mineral bidding rules by the ministry to make it less cumbersome was recently welcomed by States. The amendment will enable them to expedite the auction process.

Mines Secretary Arun Kumar had said in December last year that recent changes in bidding rules are expected to lead to wider participation and smoothening of the process.