Bhubaneswar: While the Odisha government is
struggling to bring the private miners aboard for the proposed e-auction of
minerals, the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) may start e-auction of iron ore
from October this year. The Odisha government controlled miner is already
conducting e-auction for sale of its Chrome ore.
However, the state government is trying to bring the
private miners into the e-auction umbrella to make it more comprehensive. The
state government had given in-principle nod for starting the auction process
but is awaiting a directive from the Supreme Court appointed central empowered
committee (CEC) to enforce it on private miners. The issue is expected to
be finalized during the meeting between the Odisha government and the CEC in
July.
Meanwhile, In July the state steel and mines
department has decided to send some of its officials in the rank of DDM to
Bangalore for training on the e-auction process.
“The government is finding it tough to get the
leading private miners' consent for the e-auction, but the government
controlled miner OMC may start iron ore e-auction from October. On the other
hand few officials will be sent to Bangalore for training on the e-auction
technique” said a senior official of the Directorate of Mines.
It
may be noted that, the CEC has urged the Odisha government to analyse
price trends of ore sold by top miners including state owned Odisha Mining
Corporation (OMC) and compare the same with prevailing auction prices.
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