Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday requested Union Steel and Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to take steps for providing mining lease and prospecting licence of Kalahandi district’s Kalarapata bauxite mines to the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) at the earliest.
Patnaik mad this request when Tomar met him at his chamber at the State Secretariat.
The Chief Minister apprised Tomar that the OMC has already applied for prospecting licence of the Kalarapat Mines which include 1,848 hectares of explore area and 1157 hectares of unexplored area.
Besides, Patnaik urged the Union Minister to ensure that Central PSUs like SAIl, MCl and the Nalco undertake more programmes under their corporate social responsibility (CSR) plans.
The issue of establishment of Nalco’s aluminium park at Angul was discussed between them. Tomar said the Nalco would provide all support for the proposed park and the Centre would provide 50,000 metric tonnes of aluminium for the park.
Tomar was informed that District Mineral Foundations have been set up in 12 districts and the same would be set up in other districts soon.
In another development, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradha too met Patnaik at the Secretariat. Pradhan invited the Chief Minister to attend the inauguration ceremony of the Indian Oil Refinery at Paradip.