Mining Auction Resumes: 7 Companies To Bid For Kasia Iron Ore & Dolomite Block In Odisha’s Keonjhar

Bhubaneswar: The second-round financial bidding for 11 mineral blocks in Odisha is scheduled to begin on Saturday.

According to official sources, seven companies will bid for Kasia iron ore and dolomite block spread over 194.19 hectare in Keonjhar district on the first day.

Odisha has so far received 123 bids for the 11 mineral deposits. Jindal Steel and Power Limited, Adani, JSW, Tata Steel, ArcelorMittal, Essel Mining and Industries Limited, Rungta Mines Ltd, MSPL, Vedanta and NMDC are in the race, official sources said.

The entire process is expected to be completed in 10 days following which lease deeds will be signed, the sources added.

Of the blocks up for grabs, seven are iron ore blocks, two composite blocks of iron ore and manganese, one composite block of iron ore and dolomite and a bauxite block. Except for Nadidih (Bico), whose lease period expired before March 31, 2020, six blocks of Purheibahal, Chandiposhi, Jumka Pathriposhi Pahar, Dholtapahar, Netrabandha Pahar (West) and Gandhalpada are greenfield mines.

The other four are Kasia, having both iron ore and dolomite, Nadidih (Feegrade) and Teherai, which are composite iron ore and manganese blocks, and Karlapat, a bauxite mineral block.

The sources further said that the auction of the first bauxite mineral block will be held as scheduled unless a specific instruction is received from the Orissa high court, where a petition has been filed by an Odisha-based mining contractor.

A Notice Inviting Tender (NIT) for the online auction of these blocks was issued in July this year.

Once the bidding process for these blocks is completed, the government is likely to initiate the process for auction of five mineral deposits – Pipalmunda, Garamurarh (spelling?), Uskalvagu, Behera-Bhanjipali dolomite blocks and Naringpanga graphite block, the sources added.

Also Read: 5 More Virgin Mines In Odisha To Be Auctioned

Notably, Ghoraburhani-Sagasahi iron ore block in Koira tehsil of Sundargarh district was the first block to be auctioned in India under the Mineral Auction Rule, 2015. The mining lease was granted to ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel (AMNS) India Ltd in March this year. The iron ore block was originally bagged by Essar Steel (acquired by AMNS India) through an auction process in 2016.