With 97 leases set to lapse, Centre asks states for mine re-auction roadmap

Deadline for plan submission is Sept 2017; Odisha tops with 32 mines due to expire by March 2020

Worried over the status of mineral leases lapsing in 2020, the Union mines ministry has urged states to submit action plans for their re-auction by September this year.

A total of 97 mining leases are expiring in 2020. Before being put up for auctions, the leases need to be explored up to G1 or G2 level. The Action Plan for 2020 by states would concentrate on the roadmap and modalities for auctions of these leases. Committees have been formed at the state level with representatives from the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), Geological Survey of India (GSI), Mineral Exploration Corporation Ltd