Odisha issues notification for auction of 20 iron ore, manganese mines

The Odisha government on Friday issued a fresh notification for auction of 20 mines as the existing mining leases of these blocks will get expired by end of the current fiscal, official sources said.

A notification was earlier issued for the auction of these blocks but was annulled due to technical mistakes, they said.

The fresh notification was issued for auction of 12 mineral blocks of iron ore, two of manganese and six having reserves of both minerals, an official said.

Financial bids are invited in digital format only and technical bids are requested both in digital and physical formats from eligible bidders, according to the notification.

The state government also said in the notification that the mineral blocks like Thakurani, Jaribahal, Roida II and Gannua iron ore blocks and Narayanposhi iron ore and manganese blocks will be reserved for the specified end users for production of sponge and pig iron, and steel.

The steel and mines department had received bids from 177 companies for the auction of 20 mining blocks against the earlier tender.