Lok Sabha Question No. 672 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-06
Subject: Auction of Mines
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: Bharatiben Dhirubhai Shyal, Ravi Kishan Shukla, Locket Chatterjee, Hasmukhbhai Somabhai Patel, Pushpendra Singh Chandel, Sudarshan Bhagat, Arvind Kumar Sharma, Pradeep Kumar Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 672

ANSWERED ON 06.12.2023

## AUCTION OF MINES

672. DR. BHARATIBEN DHIRUBHAI SHIYAL:

SHRI RAVI KISHAN: MS. LOCKET CHATTERJEE: SHRI PATEL HASMUKHBHAI SOMABHAI: SHRI KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL: SHRI SUDARSHAN BHAGAT: DR. ARVIND KUMAR SHARMA: SHRI PRADEEP KUMAR SINGH:

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is planning to auction minerals blocks including the critical minerals to boost economic investment and development in mineral exploration; and
- (b) if so, the details of the blocks of minerals which are scheduled to be auctioned?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF MINES, COAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI PRALHAD JOSHI)

- (a) & (b): Yes, Sir. The process of auction of Critical Minerals have been initiated by the Central Government for the first time in India. So, far the Government has identified 30 minerals as Critical Minerals.

The  Central  Government  has  amended  the  MMDR  Act,  1957  through  the  MMDR Amendment Act, 2023, whereby 24 critical and strategic minerals have been inserted in  Part D to the Schedule-I of the MMDR Act, 1957 which have been identified as critical  and  strategic  minerals  for  the  country.  Further,  the  amended  Act  has  also empowered Central Government to auction blocks of these minerals. Revenue from auction of these blocks will accrue to the concerned State Governments. Government of India has launched first tranche of auction of these minerals on 29 th  November, 2023  for  20  blocks  of  critical  and  strategic  minerals.  The  details  of  the  blocks  is attached at Annexure.

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The  details  of  Critical  Mineral  Blocks  which  have  been  notified  for  auction  are  as detailed below:

|   Sl No | Block Name                                                            | State                 | Commodity                                          | ML/ CL*   |
|---------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------|----------------------------------------------------|-----------|
|       1 | Chutia-Nauhatta Glauconite Block                                      | Bihar                 | Potash                                             | CL        |
|       2 | Pipradih-Bhurwa Glauconite Block                                      | Bihar                 | Potash                                             | CL        |
|       3 | Genjana Ni, Cr & PGE Block                                            | Bihar                 | Nickel, Platinum Group Elements and Chromium       | CL        |
|       4 | Kundol Nickel and Chromium Block                                      | Gujarat               | Nickel & Chromium                                  | CL        |
|       5 | Muskaniya-Gareriatola-Barwari Potash Block                            | Jharkhand             | Potash                                             | CL        |
|       6 | Dudhiasol East Nickel and Copper Block                                | Odisha                | Nickel and Copper                                  | ML        |
|       7 | Babja Graphite and Manganese Block                                    | Odisha                | Graphite and Manganese                             | ML        |
|       8 | Biarapalli Graphite and Manganese Block                               | Odisha                | Graphite and Manganese                             | ML        |
|       9 | Akharkata Graphite Block                                              | Odisha                | Graphite                                           | CL        |
|      10 | Vellakal Central (Segment-A) Molybdenum Block                         | Tamil Nadu            | Molybdenum                                         | CL        |
|      11 | Nochchipatti Molybednum Block                                         | Tamil Nadu            | Molybdenum                                         | CL        |
|      12 | Velampatti North A & B Molybdenum Block                               | Tamil Nadu            | Molybdenum                                         | CL        |
|      13 | Kurunjakulam Graphite Block                                           | Tamil Nadu            | Graphite                                           | CL        |
|      14 | Iluppakudi Graphite Block                                             | Tamil Nadu            | Graphite                                           | CL        |
|      15 | Mannadipatti Central Molybdenum Block                                 | Tamil Nadu            | Molybdenum                                         | CL        |
|      16 | Marudipatti (Central) Molybdenum Block                                | Tamil Nadu            | Molybdenum                                         | ML        |
|      17 | Kurchha Glauconite Block                                              | Uttar Pradesh         | Potash                                             | CL        |
|      18 | Pahadi Kalan - Gora Kalan Phosphorite Block                           | Uttar Pradesh         | Phosphorite                                        | CL        |
|      19 | Salal-Haimna Lithium, Titanium and Bauxite (Aluminous Laterite) Block | UT: Jammu and Kashmir | Lithium, Titanium and Bauxite (Aluminous Laterite) | CL        |
|      20 | Katghora Lithium and REE Block                                        | Chhattisgarh          | Lithium and Rare Earth Elements                    | CL        |