Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Limited and Thriveni Earthmovers Private Limited (TEPL) have bagged the Kottameta limestone and Lasarda-Pacheri manganese blocks in Odisha respectively.
Dalmia Cement submitted the highest final price offer of 12.05 per cent for the limestone block while TEPL’s highest final price offer for the manganese block was 44.65 per cent, said an official notification issued by the Odisha Steel and Mines Department.
Besides TEPL, other firms which took part in the financial bidding process for the manganese block were Feegrade, Ambey Mining, GV Mines Minerals & Metals and National Mineral Development Corporation. The block located in Keonjhar district has an estimated reserve of 11.61 million tonnes.
Similarly, Adani Cement and Hira Cement were the other firms besides Dalmia which were in the race for the limestone block. The block in Malkangiri district has an estimated reserve of 98.69 million tonnes.
"The state government is yet to ascertain the volume of revenue it is going to receive from the two blocks. It would take around 40 to 50 years for both the firms to complete the entire exploration process," said an officer in the Mines Department.
He said that Dalmia Cement would directly get a mining lease as the Kottameta block was auctioned at G-2 level while TEPL would have to initially apply for prospecting license followed by mining lease.