Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government is planning to auction 22 more mines soon, Mines Minister Bibhuti Jena informed on Tuesday.
Speaking to the media, Jena said that preparations for putting up these mines for auction are in the final stages. “The previous government didn’t lease out mines for a long period. Eight mines have been auctioned in the last one year since the formation of the new government. Efforts are on to put 22 more mines for auction, which not only help generate revenue for the state but also attract new industries,” he said.
The Minister further stated that growth of industries in the state will boost economic activity and create jobs.
He added that his department is working on a priority basis to ensure timely and transparent auction of mines with appointment of new mining officers.
In March, the Mohan Majhi government resumed e-auction of mineral blocks by inviting bids for grant of lease for iron ore and manganese mines in Sundargarh and Keonjhar districts. These included eight of the 10 mineral blocks approved by the Steel and Mines department for auction.
This assumed significance as 75 per cent of Odisha’s non-tax revenue comes from the mining sector.