The Central government expressed its disappointment to Andhra Pradesh government over delay in the issue of Notice Inviting Tenders for auctioning of identified mineral blocks. The Union government has asked Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh to speed up auctioning of minerals of bauxite, iron and limestone by March. However, AP wants to take time in the mining of bauxite in the forest area of Visakhapatnam district.
Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh government mulling ways and means to convince tribals to mine bauxite in the forest areas of Visakhapatnam. Though the state government wanted to go slow on the issue, the Centre has reportedly asked Andhra Pradesh to speed up clearing all the pending auction of mines and mining licenses.
The “Centre has asked the governments of Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, to speed up mines auction,” and licensing, and further ” It has appreciated the efforts of six other states, including Gujarat and Rajasthan for starting the process.
Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh have initiated the auction of 31 mineral blocks.”
The Coordination and Empowered Committee headed chaired by the Union Secretary for Mines, Balvinder Kumar has asked Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh to expedite and issue the NITs (Notice Inviting Tenders) of mineral blocks identified for the first phase of the auction at the earliest.
Accordingly to sources, the Centre is expecting that the first phase of the auction of 6570 mines of iron bauxite, iron ore and limestone in the country be completed by the end of the current financial year. It hopes 70 mining blocks would be completed by next March.
However, admitting that the Centre is disappointed with AP on this issue, sources in the Andhra Pradesh Mines and Geology department said that government is exploring the ways to convince locals and to go ahead with their consent. And, it would take time for the process, and this would be conveyed to the Centre. Because, the state government does not want to take chances, as the matter is sensitive, and also looked from the viewpoint of maintaining law and order in the area.
