NT Reporter
Panaji
The state government’s plan to auction mining dumps got off to a modest start with 40 companies coming forward to purchase tender documents by paying a fee of Rs one lakh per iron ore dump.
The Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) had set November 19 as the last date for the purchase of tender documents.
Officials said the low-key response is due to only 10 dumps put up for sale and the requirement of a detailed project report (DPR) to be provided by the potential bidders.
“The DPR will have to be submitted by December 8 for evaluation by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). Only companies with DPRs approved by TERI will technically qualify to participate in the bidding,” said mines director Narayan Gad on Friday.
“There is interest in the mining industry to participate in the state’s sale of dumps,” said Gad. He said the auction is open to Goan companies as well as any company with a state licence under the Goa (Prevention of Illegal Mining, Storage & Transportation of Minerals) Rules, 2013. “Quite a few outside companies have obtained the licence to participate in e-auctions,” said the mines director.
The government had first attempted to auction 18 dumps in January this year. It had elicited a robust response with 173 companies applying for the auctions, of which 123 companies qualified for the technical bidding. However, the auction was later annulled.
From the second attempt at auctioning of the dumps, which is scheduled for January 2026, the government is expecting to earn Rs 150 crore from sale of 10 dumps having a total of 22 lakh tonnes of iron ore.
Of the 10 dumps, nine are located in Sanguem and Dharbandora talukas in South Goa, while one is located in Honda in Sattari taluka in North Goa.
Goa will be the first state to auction iron ore dumps, with the government notifying the state policy for handling dumps in September 2023.
As per the policy, dumps on private land, on which conversion fee is paid by the erstwhile leaseholders, are allotted to the former leaseholders, while dumps on which conversion fee has not been paid and are located in private property will be auctioned.
The government has totally identified 26 dumps for sale, of which 10 dumps are presently under the auction process.
