Supreme Court dismisses Vedanta's plea against Goa iron ore mine e-auction

Following the Supreme Court's dismissal of Vedanta's plea, the Goa government is now set to proceed with the fresh e-auction process for the mineral block

The Supreme Court on Monday rejected Vedanta’s appeal seeking to block the Goa government from resuming the e-auction process for the iron ore mining lease at Curpem and Sulcorna Mineral Block-XI in South Goa, according to a report by The Economic Times.

 

A bench led by Justice Abhay S Oka upheld the Bombay High Court’s February 4 ruling, which permitted the state’s Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) to proceed with fresh bidding for the disputed mineral block. The apex court mentioned that it was not a “fit case for interference”, considering the High Court’s findings.

 

According to The Economic Times, Vedanta had initially emerged as the highest bidder in the e-auction concluded on November 14. The company had challenged the DMG’s decision to resume the auction process after another bidder, Agravanshi, claimed to have faced a ‘server error’ during the final bidding period.

   

Senior counsel Huzefa Ahmadi and counsel Ninad Laud, representing Vedanta, contended that the alleged technical glitch was specific to Agravanshi and should not have affected the auction’s finality. They further argued that MSTC, the government’s e-auction platform, had explicitly dismissed Agravanshi’s claims of a technical failure.

 

Despite this, the DMG permitted Agravanshi to submit an improved bid, prompting Vedanta to challenge the move in court. The company alleged that the decision lacked scientific backing and was based merely on MSTC’s view without objective evidence.

 

The Goa government had invited tenders in August 2023 for three iron ore blocks: Onda Mineral Block-X (North Goa), Curpem & Sulcorna Mineral Block-XI (South Goa), and Codli Mineral Block-XII (South Goa). However, the current dispute pertains solely to the Curpem & Sulcorna block. With the Supreme Court dismissing Vedanta’s plea, the Goa government is now set to proceed with the fresh e-auction process for the mineral block.