Indian government-run miner NMDC Limited has offered technical and financial support to state-run steel mill Neelchal Ispat Nigam Limited (NINL) to enable the latter to resume mining operations at its iron ore asset in Odisha, an NMDC official said on Monday, August 30.
Financially stressed NINL’s steel mill in Odisha remains closed with the government putting NINL up for privatization through competitive bidding from investors.
As per a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between NINL and NMDC, the financial and technical support extended by the latter enabled resumption of mining operations at the Mithirda iron ore block last Friday, the official said.
With NINL’s steel mill closed, the company has received permission for the sale of 1 million mt per year of iron ore for merchant sale from its captive Mithirda iron ore mine.