Dikhyaa Mohanty In the fiscal year 2023–2024, the state government intends to sell 10 major and 12 minor mining blocks. Prafulla Kumar Mallik, the minister of steel and mining, declared this in the state legislature.
Sundargarh district is home to four of the 10 mining blocks. They are the Tunmura limestone and dolomite mine, Koira iron ore block, Alaghat West iron ore, Jhumka-Pathiriposhi West iron ore, and so on. Sundargarh and Keonjhar districts contain the iron ore block known as Gandhalpada West. In contrast to the Rayagada district’s Nunapaimalli bauxite block, Sargiguda graphite block, and Keonjhar district’s Roida-I iron ore block, Rengalberha north east extension, and Nuagaon West iron block. The largest of these blocks, Karlapat, contains 1822 hectares of land and is located in the Kalahandi district.
In the Gajapati district, the state will also put up for sale 12 specific minor mineral blocks. These decorative stone blocks can be found in Tentulikhunti, Derab East, Derab West, Nuagaon, Lausahi, Jhadpada, Betarsing Blocks A and B, Nuagan (Nuagad), Damba, and Baharpada-Jamurhiha East and West.
Mallik stated in his written response that squads constituted at the tehsil, sub-division, and district levels are checking vehicles conveying minor minerals in response to the claim of smuggling of such minerals into the state. At tehsils where smuggling is a problem, special police are being deployed. He continued by saying that they collect fines from vehicles transporting minor minerals illegally.
The state government has been asked to halt the auctioning of new mines in seven virgin forests, including Gandhalpada and Karlapat, by activist Prafulla Samantara and others. He stated that seven out of ten mineral blocks are found in undeveloped regions.
