Shimla, Aug 23 (PTI) The Himachal Pradesh government has signed a pact with MSTC Ltd to facilitate e-auction services for mining leases and composite licenses in the state, Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said on Friday.
Chauhan said the state government will auction two big blocks of limestone in Arki tehsil of Solan district and Sunni tehsil of Shimla district.
The limestone from these blocks is of fine quality, making it highly valuable for use in cement, steel, glass and fertiliser industries, the minister said.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by Director of Industries Rakesh Kumar Prajapati on behalf of the state government and Regional Manager Nitin Anand representing Metal Scrap Trade Corporation (MSTC) Ltd, a Government of India enterprise under the Ministry of Steel, according to a statement issued here.
Further, Chauhan highlighted that the auction of these mineral mines would not only boost the state’s revenue but also create employment opportunities for the local population.
On Friday, the minister also presided over the 231st meeting of the Board of Directors of HP General Industries Corporation Ltd here.
During the meeting, the board approved a 7 per cent dividend payment to the Himachal Pradesh government for FY23, amounting to Rs 50.06 lakh. This dividend represents a 2 per cent increase over the state government’s standard directive of 5 per cent, the statement said.
The minister said the corporation witnessed a strong performance during April-May 2024, in which it reported a profit of approximately Rs 2.85 crore. PTI BPL SHW SHW
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