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SBI to help Goa auction 'six to eight' mining blocks by Dec 15: CM
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SME Times News Bureau | 24 Nov, 2021
The Goa government will auction "six to eight" iron ore mining blocks by
December 15, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Wednesday.
The
decision by the Chief Minister comes at a time when the Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition government in the state has been
criticised for belated efforts to restart the mining industry ahead of
the 2022 state Assembly polls.
Addressing reporters after a
meeting of the state cabinet, Sawant said that the Mineral Exploration
Corporation Limited had been appointed for exploration of the nearly 90
mining leases in Goa for mineral prospects.
"The cabinet has
given approval to the MECL for assessment of mineral ore for phase one
stage of the auction. We are auctioning around six to eight blocks.
"They
are exploring to find out which blocks will be eventually selected.
After that auctioning will be conducted by the State Bank of India,"
Sawant said, adding that the MEPL has already started exploration of
mining leases to deduce the quantum of below-surface mineral deposits.
"Our
auctioning procedure will be completed before December 15. Auction will
be carried out through the corporation (Goa Mineral Development
Corporation), but we will take SBI on board too," he said.
The
auctioning move assumes significance ahead of the Assembly polls, on
account of the fact that fresh mining excavation in the state has been
shut down since 2018, when the Supreme Court scrapped the renewal of 88
mining leases citing irregularities.
The Corporation was formed
by the Goa government earlier this year, with the Chief Minister as the
ex-officio chairman and will have top officials including Secretaries
in-charge of Finance, Mines and Environment as members.
The
Corporation will also include a lawyer nominated by the state
government, two experienced chartered accountants and a government
nominated geologist.
The Corporation is empowered to obtain
mining leases/grants, grant prospecting licenses, etc, under the Mines
and Mineral Development and Regulation Act, 1957 and carry out all
mining operations, to carry out mining operations on behalf of the State
under the same Act.
The Corporation would also conduct other
mining allied businesses which includes treatment and harvesting of
mining dumps, extraction, transportation, export of ore, apart from
executing other related responsibilities.
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