Parliament Question: Operationalisation of Auctioned Mineral Blocks

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3923 ANSWERED ON 12.08.2026 OPERATIONALISATION OF AUCTIONED MINERAL BLOCKS 3923. SHRI ANANTA NAYAK: SHRI PRADEEP KUMAR SINGH: SHRI VISHWESHWAR HEGDE KAGERI: SHRI DAMODAR AGRAWAL: SHRI YOGENDER CHANDOLIA: SHRI VISHNU DAYAL RAM: SHRI KHAGEN MURMU: DR. SANJAY JAISWAL: SHRI GODAM NAGESH: Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state: (a) the details of the progress made in operationalisation of mineral blocks auctioned across the country, including the number of auctioned blocks that have commenced production, State- wise; (b) the contribution of these operationalised mineral blocks towards enhancing domestic production of major, critical and strategic minerals; (c) whether the Union Government has taken any measures to facilitate faster operationalisation of auctioned mineral blocks through regulatory reforms, statutory clearances and infrastructure support to ensure early operationlisation of the auctioned mineral blocks particularly in mineral-rich States such as Odisha and if so, the details thereof along with the number of auctioned mineral blocks operationalised in Keonjhar Lok Sabha Constituency; and (d) the expected impact of these initiatives on mineral security, investment, employment generation and socio-economic development in mining sector across the country especially in Odisha and particularly in Keonjhar Lok Sabha Constituency? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR COAL AND MINES (SHRI SATISH CHANDRA DUBEY) (a) & (b): Since the introduction of the auction regime in 2015, 721 mineral blocks have been successfully auctioned, comprising 459 Mining Lease (ML) blocks and 262 Composite Licence (CL) blocks. In respect of 459 ML blocks, lease deeds have been executed for 117 blocks, of which 105 blocks have commenced mineral production. In respect of 262 CL blocks, licences are executed in 130 blocks and exploration has started in all of them. Further, 1 block upgraded from CL to ML and has commencedmineral production. State-wise details are given at Annexure-I. The operationalization of these mineral blocks is contributing to enhanced domestic production of major minerals such as iron ore, limestone, manganese ore and bauxite, augmenting the availability of raw materials for key sectors including steel, cement and aluminium etc. (c) & (d): The Government has undertaken several measures for facilitating the expeditious operationalization of auctioned mineral blocks to enhance domestic mineral production, strengthening mineral security and employment generation through regulatory reforms, coordinated monitoring, expeditious statutory clearances and digital interventions across the country including Odisha. In Keonjhar Lok Sabha Constituency, out of 20 auctioned major mineral blocks, 14 blocks have been operationalised. The key measures undertaken to expedite mineral blocks operationalization are as follows: i. The Mineral (Auction) Rules, 2015 have been amended to introduce intermediary timelines, automatic declaration of preferred bidder and automatic issuance of Letter of Intent (LoI), accountability for delays by bidders and State Governments, and incentives for early operationalisation. ii. A dedicated Project Management Unit (PMU) has been established at Ministry of Mines for continuous monitoring of auctioned blocks. iii. Development of Unified Mining Portal (UMP) as a centralized digital platform for end-to-end tracking and monitoring of the mineral block lifecycle from auction to operationalisation. iv. Monthly review meetings with State Governments are held under the chairmanship of the Secretary (Mines) to monitor the progress of auction and operationalisation of mineral blocks and resolve bottlenecks. v. State-specific review meetings with concerned officials from mining, forest, environment, revenue departments and concerned bidders are convened under the chairmanship of the Hon'ble Union Minister of Mines and Secretary (Mines). vi. Pre-Auction Committees have been constituted by major mineral States to resolve land scheduling issues before the auction process, facilitating more participation of bidders and faster operationalisation. vii. State-level Coordination Committees under Chief Secretary have been constituted by the major mineral states to address the bottlenecks and fast-track the operationalization of auctioned mines. viii. The State Governments have been incentivized to accelerate the auction of major minerals blocks and expedite operationalization of mines through financial incentives under Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) in FY 2025-26.ix. Legislative and policy reforms have been undertaken, including provision for inclusion of new minerals in existing mining leases, one-time area extension for Mining Lease (ML)/ Composite Licence (CL), and removal of restrictions on sale of minerals from captive mines to increase ease of doing business. *****Annexure I Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) & (b) of LS US PQ No. 3923 for answer on 12.08.2026 regarding ‘Operationalisation of Auctioned Mineral Blocks’ S. No States No. of Blocks Operationalised 1 Rajasthan 8 2 Madhya Pradesh 11 3 Odisha 35 4 Karnataka 18 5 Chhattisgarh 5 6 Gujarat 14 7 Andhra Pradesh 5 8 Maharashtra 3 9 Goa 6 10 Assam 1 Total 106