Government has cancelled the auction of three important mineral blocks under the third phase of sale of mines. These include a lithium mine in Jammu and Kashmir. The government has cancelled the auction because the number of bidders was less than the prescribed number. The government is going to conduct this auction to achieve clean alternatives and self-sufficiency in terms of important minerals. The three blocks whose auction has been cancelled include Salal-Himna lithium, titanium and bauxite (aluminous laterite) block in Jammu and Kashmir, Maskania-Gareyatola-Barwari potash block in Jharkhand and Kurunjakulam graphite block in Tamil Nadu.
Required number of bids not received
According to the mines ministry notice, the auction was cancelled as ‘required number of bids as per mineral auction rules have not been received.’ The ministry had started the sale of seven critical mineral blocks in the third tranche of auction on March 14. Blocks that received less than three bids in the first tranche were notified under this round. These seven blocks relate to critical minerals such as glauconite, graphite, nickel, PGE, potash, lithium and titanium and are located in Bihar, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Fourth round of auction of mineral blocks
Last month, the government cancelled the auction of 14 blocks of critical minerals launched in the second phase. In the first phase, the Centre had cancelled the auction of 13 out of the 20 blocks put up for sale due to lukewarm response. The Centre last month launched the fourth round of auction of critical and strategic mineral blocks, offering 21 mines in several states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
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