Bhubaneswar:
Even as the Odisha government is trying to convince the CEC to get the private miners aboard for the e-auction of minerals, its own company, the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) is struggling to start e-auction of iron ore. It has been expected that OMC would start conducting e-auction for sale of its iron ore from October, but now it has mired into uncertainties due to several reasons.
According to sources, the state owned miner is yet to get the nod of the state government for the e-auction and it is unlikely that it'll get the green signal in the near future ( before October). On the other hand the miner is struggling to maintain a sustainable production level and transport minerals from its most important mine-the Gandhamardan iron ore mines due to resistance from local people. The mine was closed since March this year until recently, when the mineral transportation started amid police protection.
On the other hand, it is learnt that OMC has also sought some clarity from the government for the government for the process. OMC has been conducting e-auction for sale of its chrome ore for the last couple of years.
The officials from steel and mines department are going to meet the CEC on 10th of this month to end the roadblock to win the support of the private miners for the proposed e-auction.
Reported by Tapan Moharana
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