Potash blocks auctioned for first time as India hands out 10 mining leases

The government has successfully concluded the auction of 10 out of 15 critical and strategic mineral blocks put up for bidding under the fifth tranche launched on 28 January. These 10 blocks comprise critical and strategic minerals such as graphite, phosphorite, phosphate, rare earth elements, vanadium; and for the first time, potash and halite spread across Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Also Read | From roads to mining: How an engineering company has quietly built a coal empire State-owned Coal India Ltd has secured the mining lease for the Oranga-Revatipur graphite and vanadium block in Chhattisgarh. Oil India Ltd and Hindustan Zinc Ltd won the first-ever auction of potash and halite blocks in Rajasthan. The other winners include Vinmir Resources Pvt., R K Mineral Development Pvt., Sunflag Iron and Steel Co. Ltd, NLC India Ltd, Ramgad Minerals and Mining Ltd. With this, the total number of blocks auctioned by the Central Government ...