Auctions can't get new mines running, no lease inked for greenfield assets

Before the auction regime, 2,754 mining leases were executed during 2006-10 and 494 were executed between 2010 and 2014, most of which were greenfield

The process of mineral auctions has crippled the pace of development of greenfield mines in the country. Since the enactment of the amended Mines and Minerals- Development & Regulation (MMDR) Act, 2015, and the subsequent framing of Mineral Auction Rules, mining lease is yet to be executed even for a single greenfield mineral block.

Data from the Union mines ministry shows 68 mineral blocks have been actually auctioned. Of this eight were offered as composite licenses- prospecting licenses (PL) cum mining lease (ML) and the rest 60 being ML. Out of the 60 MLs, 42 are greenfield mines, 14 Category