Proper utilisation of mineral resources and development of the local people is the aim of the Government. For this cooperation of everybody is required, told Minister of Mines and Steel Prafulla  Mallick while discussing with mediapersons after end of  his meeting with mining lease holders at Joda on Thursday.

He further told that auction process of 24 mines  has already started and it will take some more months to complete the lease of all mines.When the mediapersons wanted to know his views on the restrictions of leaseholders having 10,000 sqkm area of mining area  to participate in the auction ,he told that the Government of India has been requested to consider a proposal for extending the limit so that lease holders having 75,000 sqkm area can also participate.

Sources revealed that earlier, during his meeting with leaseholders , when the Minister asked them to fulfill their target of production as per EC( Environmental Clearance) ,the lease holders raised the problems of connecting  road to the mines as one of the hurdles for fulfilling the target.  Similarly, some also complained of excess transportation rate than fixed by the Government.

Keonjhar Collector Ashish Thakre told on the details of DMF fund, total collection, expenditure on different projects and proposed project report.

Additional Chief Secretary RK Sharma, Director of Mines Deepak Mohanty and Sub-Collector, Champua, Parull Patwari were also present on the occasion.

Representative of Rungta ,Tata Steel, SAIL, MG Mohanty, Jindal, OMC, KMC Indrani Patnaik, Sirajuddin, BD Patnaik, Tarini Mohanty, among other firms, attended the meeting.

Prior to coming to Joda ,Mallik who is also the Chairman of District Planning Board, had a meeting with all district level officials.