Odisha Sets Jan 3 Meeting to Finalize Major & Critical Mineral Auction Calendar

According to an official communication from the Department of Steel and Mines, the meeting will be chaired by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Steel and Mines Department and will take place at 4:00 pm in the Steel Room of the department in Bhubaneswar.

The Ministry of Mines, Government of India, has advised states to prepare and publish an annual auction calendar for mineral blocks within prescribed timelines. In pursuance of this, the Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG), Odisha, has proposed a list of major mineral blocks along with critical and strategic mineral blocks for inclusion in the state's annual auction calendar.

The proposed blocks have been explored by agencies including the Directorate of Mines and Geology (DoMG), Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), Geological Survey of India (GSI), and Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Limited (MECL).

The lists of identified blocks are enclosed as Annexure-I (major minerals) and Annexure-II (critical and strategic minerals) to the official communication.

Annexure-I lists major mineral blocks, including iron ore, manganese, bauxite, limestone, dolomite, copper, and gold, located across districts such as Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Mayurbhanj, Bargarh, and Sambalpur. Several of these blocks are at G2 and G3 levels of exploration, indicating advanced readiness for auction consideration.

Annexure-II details critical and strategic mineral blocks proposed for different licence categories for the financial years 2025-26 and 2026-27. These include graphite, rare earth elements (REE), vanadiferous magnetite, titanium, vanadium, tin, and base metals such as copper, nickel, gold and silver.

Districts covered under this annexure include Kalahandi, Rayagada, Mayurbhanj, Nayagarh, Deogarh, Malkangiri and Balangir, with some blocks having established resources and others at advanced stages of exploration.

The meeting on January 3 will review the suitability, exploration status and auction readiness of the proposed mineral blocks before finalising the annual auction calendar. The Director of Mines and Geology, Odisha, has been directed to make a detailed PowerPoint presentation on the identified blocks during the meeting.

Officials from OMC, GSI, MECL, and the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) have been requested to attend the meeting and provide relevant technical and exploration information to facilitate informed decision-making.

Odisha's Steel and Mines Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, speaking to ANI, said no mining auctions have been held since 2023.

"After our government came to power, we prepared 30 mines for auction, and 8 of them have already been auctioned. We have issued Notices Inviting Tenders (NITs) for 12 of the remaining mines. The remaining 10 mines will also be auctioned in January. After these auctions, the Government of India's Mines Department prepares an annual auction plan. We have a meeting scheduled for the 3rd of this month to discuss the mine auctions and the status of the mines for the 2026-27 period," he said.

"The 2026-27 calendar will include 35 major mines, six critical mines will be included in 2025-26, and 8 critical mines in 2027. This meeting will finalise the annual action plan. All the mines will be auctioned by 2026-27...," the Odisha minister further added.

- ANI