(The Pioneer)
Having a target to hike its capacity to produce 100-million tonne per annum (MTPA) steel, the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) has requested the Odisha Government to reserve six mineral locks in Keonjhar and Sundargarh districts in its favour. The NMDC wants that besides the major Mankadnacha and Malangtoli iron ore mines, four other blocks in Odisha should be reserved for it. It is the country’s single-largest iron ore producer presently producing 35 MT from its fully-mechanised mines in Chhattisgarh and Karnataka.
The NMDC has urged the Odisha Government to allocate the six mineral blocks under Section 17 A of the MMDR Act, 2015. In view of the National Steel Policy’s target to produce 300 MTPA steel in the country, the NMDC has set a Vision Plan to increase its iron ore production capacity from the present 35 MTPA to 100 MTPA by 2024-25. NMDC Director PK Satapathy has said that in order to meet this target, the NMDC requires additional mining leases in the mineral-rich States like Odisha. Odisha is having potential to develop mines with a capacity of over 10 MTPA.
Satapathy has said the NMDC is also planning to diversify into mining of minerals other than iron ore and diamond. So, it has been trying to acquire additional mining leases of various minerals including iron ore and diamond. The NMDC has also approached the Union Ministry of Steel for reservation of the Khandadhar iron ore blocks in Sundargarh district for prospecting and mining operations. Khandadhar has got two iron ore blocks and the NMDC has asked for both, said official sources.
