'Govt keen to ensure timely auction of iron mines'

Mines Secretary Balvinder Kumar today said the government is working to ensure that all iron mines whose lease would expire by 2020 are auctioned on time.
These mines will be auctioned by respective state governments so that mining could start soon after expiry of lease, Kumar said.
He was replying to a question on the government's plan on the issue as the lease of 90 per cent iron ore mines in Keonjhar district of Odisha alone would expire by 2020 and the fate of 50,000 odd labourers would be uncertain.
Earlier in the day, Kumar executed a pilot launch of Drone Application in Mine Monitoring at Noamundi Iron Mine (NIM) of Ore, Mines and Quarries Division of Tata Steel in West Singhbhum district.

With this, NIM has become the first mine in the country to introduce drone technology in mine monitoring.
Later talking to newsmen, Kumar said, "We have initiated mining surveillance system using space technology along with a mobile app. This will help in stopping illegal mining, monitoring mining plan, production, dispatch and royalty payment."

Anyone can upload data on the spot in this regard and the Central Control room would detect if the activities are legal or illegal, and take action if needed, he said.
The Ministry of Mines conceptualised the idea to monitor mining activities with a drone, Kumar said, adding that the details from sanction of mining plan to how much mineral was mined, quantity dispatched, loyalty payment made, among others, can be checked through the technology.

"We have requested Tata Steel to demonstrate it, so that we can prepare a policy and suggest state governments to utilise drones for the purpose," he said.
Kumar claimed that the technology, which has wider possibility in the mining sector, will help state governments and Indian Bureau of Mines control mining activities.