Goa government to auction 1.10 million tonnes of iron ore

PANAJI: A total of 1.10 million metric tonnes of iron ore will be auctioned tomorrow as part of the eighth phase of electronic auctioning, a senior official said here today.

"We will electronically auction 1.10 million tonnes of ore tomorrow," Goa's Directorate of Mines and Geology Director Prasanna Acharya told PTI here.

The Directorate of Mines and Geology has identified ore at mines at Codli, Sirigao, Costi, Bicholim, Surla, Vagus jetty and Cudnem plot and Tollem plant, he said.

So far, the Goa government has e-auctioned 6.85 million tonnes of ore, earning revenue of Rs 713 crore, he added.

The state has been conducting e-auctions through the Metal Scrap Trading Corporation (MSTC) which is being monitored by a Supreme Court-appointed committee, Acharya said.

The Directorate of Mines and Geology has identified 15 million tonnes of iron ore for auction, out of which 6.85 million tonnes have been auctioned, he added.

The remaining eight million tonnes of ore have to be auctioned off before mining of fresh ore, which the Goa government expects during the forthcoming mining season which is set to commence from October, Acharya said.