Mineral Mines Auction: Telangana CM Revanth Reddy to seek more time

Sources say Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is planning to write a letter to the Centre requesting extension of the deadline and allocating the notified mines to public sector units.

Hyderabad: Following Centre’s ultimatum to auction off 11 mines in Telangana before June 30, the State government is reportedly planning to seek more time from the Centre to auction mines.

Sources say Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is planning to write a letter to the Centre requesting extension of the deadline and allocating the notified mines to public sector units. As the Telangana government failed to auction any mineral blocks in the past nine years, the Centre had asked the State to put at least six mines on sale by the end of this month.

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In a recent letter, the Central Mines Department had asked the State government to expedite the auctioning process of 11 mines notified in the State. It had cautioned that if the State government failed to auction the mines by June 30, it would go ahead with the auctioning of at least six of those mines as per Section 10B and 11 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 2015. These blocks consist of five iron ore mines, five limestone blocks and one manganese block.

According to sources, geological reports of eleven blocks have been handed over to the Telangana government for auction. The 11 mines are reportedly situated in Saidulanama, Sultanpur, and Pusupulabodu in Suryapet district; Chintala Thanda in Khammam district and Kampa Junapani limestone mines in Adilabad district.

As per the amendment in mining rules made in 2021, the Centre has the power to put on sale the mineral blocks in case a State government fails to auction the mines within the mutually agreed period.