The Chhattisgarh Government had targetted to carry out survey and mapping for 1,000 square kms of State’s area during 2015-16 for geological exploration during the 12th five year plan ( 2012-17). The minerals to be explored as bauxite, limestone, iron ore, coal, dolomite, manganese and granite, officials stated. The Directorate of Geology & Mining is the State agency engaged in exploration of mineral resources as well as minerals development and regulation work in Chhattisgarh.
The Directorate has the facility of remote sensing, cartography,survey, drilling and petrological techniques for geological investigations supported by the chemical laboratory (conventional and instrumental techniques of analyses) to assess the mineral resources. The mineral exploration works are being carried out through three Regional Offices, Raipur, Bilaspur and Jagdalpur, officials stated.
The grant of mineral concession, collection of revenue and regulation of mineral concessions are being carried out through District Offices under the control of Collector, district concerned. The Directorate also provides technical and legal advice, related with grant and regulation of mineral concession to the State Government.
Explorations had been promised for Bauxite in Dandkesra and Murdadand area of Surguja and Darai and Bhuski-Pakri/Pandripani area of Kabirdham districts (two areas), Iron ore in notified areas of Kanker and Narayanpur districts and Pavaras and Kachhora area of Bastar district. Moreover, explorations are being prposed for limestone in Raipur, Rajnandgaon,Janjgir-Champa and Dantewada districts, Manganese in Raipur district, Dolomite in Janjgir-Champa district, Granite in Kanker, Bastar and Narayanpur districts, Coal in Saidu area and West of Mainpat Plateau of Surguja district.
Chhattisgarh is set to earn estimated revenue of Rs51,596 crore from its five mines auctioned among 29 in the country under the provisions of Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015 during the mining lease period. The specified end-users of the mines are in the non-regulated sector. The mines are Chotia, Gare Palma IV-4, Gare Palma IV-5, Gare Palma IV-7, Gare-Palma Sector-IV/8.
So far 29 coal mines have been auctioned under the provisions of Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015 and the Rules made thereunder. This was stated by Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy in a written reply to a question in the lok Sabha .
The auction process for non-regulated sector viz. Iron and Steel, Cement and Captive Power was based on forward bidding process where bidders had to submit their final price offer above the applicable floor price. In case of Power sector which is a regulated one, reverse bidding methodology was adopted where bidders had to submit bids below the applicable ceiling price, which shall be taken as fuel cost in determination of power tariff.
In case, bid price reaches Rszero in reverse bidding, the bidding is based on additional premium payable to the concerned State Government, over and above the fixed reserve price of Rs100 per tonne, he said. Goyal further stated that revenue which would accrue to the coal bearing State Government concerned comprises of Upfront payment as prescribed in the tender document, Auction proceeds and Royalty on per tonne of coal production. In addition, an estimated amount of Rs1,41,854 crores would accrue to coal bearing States from allotment of 38 coal mines to Central and State PSU’s, he said.
The Minister further stated that out of these 29 coal mines, 16 are operational coal mines included in Schedule-II of the Act and 13 are non-operational included in Schedule-III of the Act. Milestones for development and production of coal from the auctioned coal mines have been prescribed under the Coal Mines Development and Production Agreement signed with the Successful Bidder. Notably, Chhattisgarh had only three ‘Non Working’ iron ore mines out of 15 as on April 15, 2015 in the State.
The state-wise details of Working and Non-working mines of iron ore as on April 15, 2015 are as follows- Chhattisgarh- Working (15), Non Working (3) Andhra Pradesh Working (42), Non Working (20), Goa Non Working ( 330), Jharkhand Working (11), Non Working (46), Karnataka Working (26), Non Working (69), Madhya Pradesh Working (33), Non Working ( 3) , Maharashtra Working (14), Non Working (12),Odisha Working (37), Non Working (106), Rajasthan Working( 15) Non Working (2), Telangana Working (4), Non Working (5). This was informed by Union Minister of State for Mines and Steel Vishnu Deo Sai in a statement laid on the table of lok Sabha.