Union Minister of Mines and Coal, Shri Prahlad Joshi, in a virtual meeting held with Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel today, appreciated Chhattisgarh for taking prompt initiative on the instructions of the Centre. It was informed in the meeting that in the priority of the Government of India, a target has been set to make allocation of mineral blocks through auction, under which a total of 16 new iron ore and limestone deposits will be made in the next 2-3 months in the state of Chhattisgarh under the first phase. The blocks are being prepared for auction. The Union Minister said that Chhattisgarh is the first state in the country to take initiative for auction of mineral blocks as per the instructions of the Government of India. He congratulated and congratulated the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh and the officials of the Mineral Department for this. In the meeting, Chief Minister Shri Baghel strongly put forth the side of Chhattisgarh related to minerals.
Chief Minister Shri Baghel urged Union Minister Shri Joshi to reserve Bailadila Iron Ore Mine-1 in favor of CMDC to promote iron ore based industrialization in Bastar region and to make iron ore easily available to local iron ore based industries. . Shri Baghel said that industrialization can be a good medium for eradicating the Naxalite problem in the Naxal-affected Bastar region. On this, the Union Minister assured the necessary initiative.
In the meeting, the Chief Minister requested the Minister in-charge of the district to continue as the ex-officio President in the District Mineral Institute (DMF). He said that all the MPs in the committee can be made ex-officio members. At present, he has requested to amend the order of the Ministry of Mines, Government of India to make the District Collector as ex-officio President and all MPs as ex-officio members. The Union Minister assured to consider it.
The work done by the Union Coal Minister Shri Joshi in Chhattisgarh for the grade determination of private coal mines in the country was appreciated for the first time in the country and to consider the demand of Chhattisgarh to give the right of grade determination in SECL mines also to the state government. And assured positive initiatives in this regard in the near future. Chief Minister Mr. Baghel urged for early transfer of Rs.4100 crore recovered by the Chhattisgarh government from private coal mines operated before the year 2014 as per the order of the Supreme Court to the state of Chhattisgarh. The Union Minister, while agreeing on this issue, assured to resolve the matter after seeking guidance through the Supreme Court.
The Chief Minister said in the meeting that the state of Chhattisgarh is a coal-bearing state, yet the state’s public sector undertaking does not have any coal block. He urged for allotment of Tara coal block in favor of CMDC. He said that in case of non-availability of this block due to any reason, any coal block from Doresara, Jharpalam, Jarekela in Raigad should be reserved. Union Minister Shri Joshi asked to send the proposal of agency to the Center for prospecting using the funds of NMET for the exploration of base metal in Bodal area under Ambagarh outpost of Rajnandgaon.
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