Dikhyaa Mohanty 
With an eye on the 2025–2026 fiscal year, the Odisha government is getting ready to hold its maiden auction of two gold-bearing blocks, perhaps starting in 2026. In accordance with the Ministry of Mines’ direction to increase predictability and transparency in the mineral auction process, this action is part of a larger plan to auction 49 mineral blocks, including significant and vital minerals.
A high-level committee, chaired by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Steel and Mines Department, is scheduled to convene on January 3, 2026, to finalise the annual auction calendar. The meeting will review the suitability, exploration status and auction readiness of the proposed mineral blocks, according to an official communication from Gauttam Chaudhury, Additional Secretary in the department. The proposed blocks have been explored by agencies including the Directorate of Mines and Geology (DoMG), Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), Geological Survey of India (GSI), and Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Limited (MECL).
On January 3, 2026, a high-level committee led by the Steel and Mines Department’s Additional Chief Secretary will meet to finalize the yearly auction schedule. According to an official statement from the department’s Additional Secretary, Gauttam Chaudhury, the conference would examine the proposed mining blocks’ appropriateness, exploration status, and auction preparation. The Directorate of Mines and Geology (DoMG), Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), Geological Survey of India (GSI), and Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Limited (MECL) are among the organizations that have investigated the proposed blocks.
