The government of the eastern Indian state of Odisha has completed the mandatory G2 level of exploration across 11 iron ore blocks, making them eligible to be put up for auction in the current fiscal year, a government official said on Tuesday, November 13.
The official said that, with the Federal Ministry Of Mines making G2 level exploration mandatory before any mineral block could be put up for auction, the Odisha government is now fully compliant and the auction of the blocks has been scheduled for completion before March 31, 2019.
The government is also trying to complete formalities wherein all successful bidders at the auction could be granted a composite mining license, including all necessary mandatory approvals, so that miners could commence mining operations with shortest gestation periods, as securing multiple approvals from various agencies often delays projects, the official added.