Government Halts Critical Mineral Block Auctions Amid Insufficient Interest

The government's plan to auction five critical mineral blocks, including a rare earth element site in Karnataka, has been stalled due to a lack of interest.

With zero bids placed for two glauconite mines in Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, and a Nickel and PGE block in Karnataka, the auction was suspended, the mines ministry announced.

Furthermore, the planned sale of a tungsten mine in Maharashtra and another REE block in Karnataka was also scrapped, prompting an assessment of the auctioning process.

(With inputs from agencies.)