Chhattisgarh has secured 2nd position for exemplary performance in auction of mineral blocks in the year 2022-23. Chhattisgarh has received another national award for auctioning non-coal core mineral blocks. Union Coal and Mines Minister Prahlad Joshi today honoured Chhattisgarh with the second Best Performance Award in the country for the successful auction of non-coal main mineral blocks in 2nd State Mining Ministers’ Conference held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday. This award is given by Ministry of Mines, Government of India. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has congratulated all the officials of the Mineral Resources Department for this achievement.

 

Anurag Diwan, Joint Director (Mineral Administration) and Incharge Auction and Sanjay Kanakne, Joint Director (Geology), received the award from Union Minister Prahlad Joshi in the programme. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav was the chief guest at the function. It may be mentioned that out of the total 35 allotted non-coal main mineral blocks in State after 2015, 20 mineral blocks have been allotted in the year 2022-23. Of these, a total of 20 blocks including 2 limestone, 9 iron ore, 5 bauxite blocks and 2 nickel-chromium-platinum-group of elements and 2 graphite minerals were allotted mineral lease-composite license through e-auction. With the aim of ensuring exploration and exploitation of precious and strategic minerals in the state, a national level stakeholders’ conference was organized in September, 2022.

 

The officials of the Mineral Resources Department informed that Chhattisgarh is the first state in the country to allot Nickel-Chromium-Platinum-Group of Elements mineral block. Similarly, for the first time in the state, allocation of iron ore, bauxite and graphite blocks has also been done successfully. He said that with the successful allocation of 20 mineral blocks, the state will earn about Rs 43,700 crore as premium in addition to royalty, DMF, NMET, environment and infrastructure cess.