India's Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC), the Orissa government-owned mineral mining company, will conduct the second phase auctioning of illegally mined chrome ore, a senior OMC official said on Monday, June 4.
OMC has been mandated by the government's department of steel and mines to auction the 6,000 mt of chrome ore as part of punitive measures against illegal mining.
"The conduct of an auction has been approved for 6,000 mt of low grade chrome ore lying at the Kaliapani chromite mines after following due formalities. The sale proceeds from the auction would be credited to the government's account," the order of the department of steel and mines said.
The government order for auction of the 6,000 mt of chrome ore is for the balance of the total 10,155 mt of similar grade of chrome ore, for which the first phase auction was held a few months ago, the OMC official said.
More than 95 percent of estimated Indian chrome ore reserves of 213 million mt are located in the eastern Indian coastal province of Orissa.
Last year, OMC issued the tender call notice regarding the chrome ore illegally mined by India's Jindal Stainless Ltd (JSL).