Tata Steel's lapsed Sukinda chromite mine may get an extension

BHUBANESHWAR: The fate of Tata Steel's Sukinda chromite mine will be decided next Wednesday during a committee of the Odisha government to decide the fate of eight mines.
Mines older than 50 years had lapsed after the laws were modified last July, but the Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation)(amendment) Act that the Narendra Modi-government introduced this January granted non-captive mines a lifeline of five years and captive mines a lease period extension of 15 years.

According to Odisha government officials, who didn't want to be named, Tata Steel's Sukinda mine qualifies for this. The question before the committee when it meets, though, will be whether to extend its lease, last running as a merchant mine, as non-captive or captive.

The high level committee set up to decide the renewals will also take up the case of BC Mohanty and Sons' (Kamarda) chrome mines as well as the iron ore and manganese leases of RB Das' (Dalpahar), Mala Roy (Jalahuri), Tarini Minerals (Deojhar), Gandhmardan Sponge Iron (Putuli Pani) Gitarani Mohanty (Malimunda), according to agenda notes.