Goa government issues notification on e-auctioning of iron ore

The Goa government has set in motion the process to e-auction around 15 million metric tonne of iron ore currently stacked at jetties, leases, stock-yards and beneficiation plants across the state's mining belt.

Director of Mines and Geology Prasanna Acharya has issued the notification for e-auctioning, which is scheduled to take place next month. The Supreme Court while hearing a petition in the Goa illegal mining case had allowed online auctioning of the ore, and money collected from the process would be deposited in a separate account till the case is disposed of.

The Department issued the notice yesterday inviting applications from prospective bidders to participate in e-auctioning of extracted ore in Goa.

As per the estimates by state government, approximately 15 million metric tonne of ore is lying unused at jetties, leases, stockyards and beneficiation plants. "At the jetties itself, total 4.88 MMT ore is stacked, ready to be exported," a senior department officer said.

He said out of total 15 million metric tonne of ore, 11.48 million metric tonne of ore is accounted for while the rest is apparently illegally extracted, which stands confiscated by the government.

As per the notification, the companies participating in the auctioning process get themselves registered with the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM).