Several high producing Iron Ore mines to stop production by March 2020, but no scope for any extension: Deepak Mohanty, Director of Mines, Odisha
By T.Mohanara
Bhubaneswar: Several prominent and high producing Merchant Iron Ore Mines are going to stop production by 31st March 2020 in Odisha and there is absolutely no scope for extension, revival or any change of that deadline, a senior department of Mines official of the Odisha government said.
“Several high producing iron ore mines will be closed by March 2020 as per the MMDR (Amendment) Act 2015, leading to a shortfall of Iron Ore in the market. However, there is absolutely no scope for extension, revival or any change of that deadline” said Deepak Mohanty, Director of Mines, and Government of Odisha.
Odisha, the top Iron Ore producing state of the country, produced 118.5 million tonnes of Iron Ore in 2018-19 financial year.
He said that total 24 iron ore mines will be closed including high producing mines like Sirajuddin, KJS Ahluwalia, RP Sao. Out of these 24 as many as 20 mines are ready for auction. Along with these 20 mines, another 15-16 iron ore blocks will be put on for auction in the next few years.
Earlier, the Odisha Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Patel had said that the state government is planning to auction 5-10 mines in July.