Question : e-auction of Mines

(a) the details of the mines allotted through e-auction during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT wise;
(b) whether e-auction of mines had to be deferred by many States including Bihar due to insufficient number of applications during the said period;
(c) if so, the details thereof, State/UT wise;
(d) whether any assessment for such a low response by the bidders has been made and if so, the details and the outcome thereof; and
(e) whether the States have requested the Union Government to review the rules in this regard and if so, the details thereof along with the reaction of the Government thereto?

The e-auction for Major Minerals has been introduced by the Central Government through the amendment MMDR Act, 2015, which came in to effect from 12.1.2015. The State/UT wise details of the mines allotted through e-auction are at Annexure.
(b) & (c) Yes, the details of deferred e-auction of mines (of major minerals by State Governments), due to insufficient number of applications found at the time of opening of initial bids is also given at Annexure.
(d) No Such assessment report has been yet received from any State Government.
(e) No.
********


Annexure
State/UT wise details of successfully e-auctioned blocks and details of deferred e-auction of mines is as under:

State Major mineral bocks put up on e-Auction till date Status of e-Auction of major mineral blocks
e-auction of blocks successful(along with year of auction) Blocks for which the auctions were deferred due to insufficient number of applications found at the time of opening of initial bids
Andhra Pradesh 6 blocks ------ ------
Gujarat 5 blocks ------ 5 blocks
MP 4 blocks ------
Odisha 3 blocks 1 blocks
(2015-16) 1 blocks
Jharkhand 3 blocks 2 blocks
(2015-16) 1 block
Karnataka 14 blocks ------ ------
Chhattisgarh 5 blocks 3 blocks
(2015-16) 2 blocks
Rajasthan 3 blocks ------ 3 blocks
Maharashtra 4 blocks ------ 4 blocks
All other States (including Bihar) ------ ------
Total 47 blocks 6 blocks 17 blocks