In a significant step towards accelerating Odisha’s mining sector, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi held detailed discussions with Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy today at Lok Seva Bhawan.
The meeting focused on removing bottlenecks, securing faster approvals, and enhancing Odisha’s contribution to India’s mineral economy.
Odisha continues to lead the nation in mineral production. In the financial year 2025-26, the state produced approximately 471 million tonnes of minerals and generated revenue of around ₹46,000 crore.
CM Majhi emphasised that sustained growth in this sector requires proactive support from the Centre, particularly in expediting forest and environmental clearances for auctioned mining blocks.
Key Requests Made by the Chief Minister:
- Immediate forest and environmental clearances for all auctioned mine blocks.
- Allocation of the Sasubohumali Bauxite Block and Thakurani Iron Ore Block in favour of OMC (Odisha Mining Corporation).
- Rapid development of rail and port infrastructure to make mineral transportation more efficient and cost-effective.
- Creation of a suitable framework for backfilling abandoned coal mines using fly ash, with a strong focus on environmental protection.
- Introduction of advanced technology for high-precision mineral analysis.
Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy acknowledged the challenges and proposed convening a high-level inter-ministerial meeting involving all concerned Central Ministries and the State Government to resolve mining-related issues comprehensively.
Both leaders stressed the need for the saturation mode implementation of all welfare schemes in mining-affected areas. They highlighted the importance of integrating Central and State schemes with DMF (District Mineral Foundation) funds and CSR contributions from companies through a unified approach. The state has already prepared a dedicated initiative called CM Sampada to achieve holistic development in these regions.
Senior officials from major Central PSUs — Mahanadi Coalfields Limited, NLC India, Singareni Collieries, NALCO, and the Indian Bureau of Mines — also participated and presented their specific issues.
The meeting was attended by Odisha’s Chief Secretary Anu Garg, Development Commissioner, Additional Chief Secretaries from key departments, and senior officials from the Ministry of Coal and Mines.
