Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has decided to auction around 5 to 10 mines in the state in July, Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Mallick told the media on Saturday.
The minister further informed that around 24 mines were slated for closure by 2020.
Mallick, however, assured that the auction won’t affect supply of raw materials to industrial units. “The state government will take the necessary step to ensure uninterrupted supply of raw materials to the industrial units. At present, 36 mines in the state are ready for auction of which about 5-10 mines will be auctioned by this July,” he said.
Referring to the revision of coal royalty, the minister said despite repeated requests, the Centre has not taken any decision in this regard. As a result, Odisha is losing huge revenue in the mining sector.
