IMG to review status of Essar iron ore, Vedanta gold mine

An Inter Ministerial Group (IMG) set up to fast-track mining leases will review the status of the iron ore block won by Ruias-promoted Essar Steel and a gold mine by Anil Agrawal-led Vedanta among others next month.
Post-Auction Mining Clearances and Approvals Facilitator (PAMCAF), which is chaired by Mines Secretary, will meet on September 8, to review the status of seven mineral blocks, which have been successfully auctioned so far, a senior government official said.
It will also look at methods for enhancing facilitation to the concerned states to expedite the clearances related to these mines to help them start operations as soon as possible, he added.

Besides, the iron ore block in Odisha won by Essar and the gold mine in Chhattisgarh by Vedanta, the PAMCAF will also review status of auctioned limestone blocks -- one in Andhra Pradesh, two each in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
In the first round of auctions, held in 2015-16, states have auctioned seven mines with mineral reserves worth about Rs 29,000 crore. The revenue to accrue from these mines over the next 50 years will be more than Rs 13,000 crore.
Besides, official from the Mines Ministry, PAMCAF also has officials from the ministries of Environment and Forests, Railways, Petroleum and Department of Industrial Policy and promotion as its members.

The group also includes senior officials from concerned department from the state governments as well.
In context of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Make in India initiative, the government wants to fast-track the process of operationalisation of auctioned mineral blocks with shortest possible gestation period.