Odisha to notify 10 mines for auction by month-end

Barring two iron ore mines at Khandadhar and Mankadmocha in the State.

The Odisha government will issue the notification for at least 10 mines, except the two iron ore mines at Khandadhar and Mankadmocha in the State, for auction, by November end.

“In the first phase we will auction 10 mines, notification of which will be out by the end of November. Subsequently, transaction advisor SBI Capital Markets Limited will begin the tender process and we’ll complete the auctions by December,” Odisha Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Mallick said.

Mr. Mallick, said that though it was earlier planned to put 12 mines for auction, later the iron ore mines at Khandadhar and Mankadmocha in Sundergarh and Keonjhar districts, respectively were excluded from the list as the Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) survey and other ancillary processes had not been completed so far.

Panel set up

Meanwhile, the State government has constituted a committee under Development Commissioner U.N. Behera to smoothen the auction process.

The committee has been guiding the government in fixing base price for auction of specific mines for auction, preparing tender papers and identifying reserves to be put for open bidding, officials said.