No decision yet on use of Karlapat bauxite

Neither the State Government nor the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) in favour of which the bauxite mines at Karlapat has been reserved by the Union Ministry of Mines has taken any decision to source bauxite to SesaSterlite’s aluminium plant at lanjigarh, said a senior State Government official in the Department of Steel and Mines.

There has not been any decision so far for utilisation of the bauxite which would be extracted from these mines, said the official, adding that the actual mining can only take place after a long-drawn process of obtaining several statutory clearances required for such mining. Meanwhile soon after the Union Minister of Mines made the announcement in Parliament recently, the Centre’s decision to reserve the Karlapat mines in Kalahandi district in favour of OMC, speculations have been appearing about sourcing of bauxite from the mines.     

Notably, the State Government had moved the Union Ministry of Mines in June 2013 requesting it to reserve for thirty years the deposits at the Karlapat mines in favour of the OMC, reasoning it out that this exploitation would be in the interest of mineral conservation and prudent use. “The Ministry of Mines had received a request from the Odisha government for reservation of Karlapat bauxite deposit over an area of 3,113.25 hectare (ha) in Kalahandi district in favour of OMC ltd under Section 17 A (2) of the erstwhile Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act, 1957. The proposal was approved and conveyed to the State Government by the Ministry,” Union Minister of State Steel & Mines Vishnu Deo Sai stated in reply to a query in lok Sabha on March 16.

Sources said the Karlapat mines spreading over 3,002.49 hectares has estimated reserves of 207 million tonnes which includes 153 tonnes of proven reserve and 54 million tones of probable reserve.