In a major boost to iron ore mining company, NMDC Limited, the Chhattisgarh Government has extended the lease of four mines today that are due for extension in March 2020.

The public sector mining major, which has been in the business of mining iron ore for over six decades, operates three iron-ore complexes in the country. Two are in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, sharing major proportion of company’s total output and one is located in Karnataka’s Donimalai,

Of the NMDC’s 33-million tonnes per annum (MTPA) production, Chhattisgarh’s two complexes in Bacheli and Kirandul under Bailadila projects contributed about 24 mtpa (in 2018-19).

NMDC started the exercise for renewal of leases of Bailadila projects well in advance in Chhattisgarh.

Of the five mines in the Bailadila Sector, lease of four mines with an installed capacity of over 29 mtpa has been extended now and one mining lease has already been extended in 2017.

Efforts of NMDC Chairman and Managing Director N Baijendra Kumar for the last one year finally yielded the desired results with the extension of mining leases.

“We are grateful to Government of Chhattisgarh and especially State Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and top officials for their support to NMDC in granting extension of lease (for the four mines) for another 20 years,” the CMD said.

The Mineral Resources Department of Chhattisgarh vide letter dated December 17, 2019 has extended the four mining leases in Bailadila District: South Bastar, Dantewada, Chhattisgarh pertaining to NMDC for a further period of 20 years.

The leases of Bailadila Deposit No.5, Bailadila Deposit No.10, Bailadila Deposit No.14 and Bailadila Deposit No.14NMZ have been extended for the period of 20 years upto September 2035, according to NMDC.