The Odisha government has decided to invite fresh tenders for 20 working mines after it cancelled the notification issued for auction of the mines, the lease of which is expiring on March 31, 2020.

The state government has decided to issue fresh notification for the blocks by putting some new conditions, said a mines official on Tuesday.

It has cancelled the notification for auction of mines issued in three phases in October, said a letter from the Mines Department issued late on Monday.

The decision to annul the bidding process has been taken after meetings of technical evaluation committee and the high-level meeting held on November 30, according to the letter.

The government had floated global tenders in three phases in October for auction of the mines under the amended Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Act, 2015.-IANS