Odisha is one of the few states in India that adopted online mineral monitoring system and issued e-passes during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure seamless business activities and movement, pointed out State Minister for Steel and Mines Prafulla Kumar Mallik.
The Minister also noted that mineral sector in Odisha was least impacted during the pandemic due to several initiatives by the government. The sincere use of digitisation made it possible to host and participate in webinars like the National metal and mining e-summit 2021 organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
Supporting the fact, Debidutta Biswal, Director Mines, claimed that the digitisation of several mining-related works helped the state manage the business affairs in the best possible way amidst the pandemic.
The industry experts applauded the resilience of the sector during the crisis. J B Pany, Chairman of ICC Odisha State Council, said: “We believe that there is a significant scope for new mining capacities in iron ore, bauxite and coal and opportunities for future discoveries of subsurface deposits.”
At present, NALCO's Panchpatmali bauxite mine in Odisha has a capacity of 68.25 lakh tonnes per annum. Bauxite occurs over the full length of the Panchpatmali plateau, which spans over 18 kms.
At Kodingamali mine in Odisha, bauxite production during FY2021 came in at 29.99 lakh tonnes.
Manish Kharbanda, Member, Core & Advisory Committee & Mentor of Steel & Mines Committee, said: “The State government should focus on the value addition of the mineral reserve in the state, which can generate five times more revenue than mining on a standalone basis.”
Mr Kharbanda also showed concern about the export of about 60 per cent of the ore to other states, which could make the survival of the small domestic units difficult.
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