Key Points
NEW DELHI: The Centre has cancelled auction for 13 of 20 blocks on offer in the first round of critical mineral bids following tepid response..
"It has been decided to return the bid security to bidders for 11 mineral blocks that got less than three bids each," an official aware of the development said..
These blocks which received poor response hold glauconite, nickel, chromium and platinum group elements (PGE), potash, nickel and copper, molybdenum ore, graphite, and lithium, titanium and bauxite (aluminous laterite)..
Responding to a query on the seven blocks that did get a good response in the first bid round, a senior government official said, "Blocks holding phosphorite and fertiliser minerals have got 5-6 bids per mine..
These include antimony, beryllium, bismuth, cobalt, copper, gallium, germanium, graphite, hafnium, indium, lithium, molybdenum, niobium, nickel, platinum group elements (PGE), phosphorous, and potash...
