(1) The holder of a mining lease granted for captive purpose shall have the right of first refusal at the time of auction held for such lease after the expiry of the lease period in the following manner:
(a) to be eligible to exercise the right of first refusal, the lessee shall comply with the conditions of the mining lease, the Act and the rules made thereunder till its expiry;
(b) prior to publication of the notice inviting tender, the State Government shall give a notice to the lessee requiring the lessee to specify his willingness or nonwillingness to exercise the right of first refusal in writing, within a period of thirty days of receipt of such notice;
(c) the notice inviting tender shall specify that the lessee holding the lease prior to expiry of the mining lease has the right of first refusal and shall also specify his willingness or non-willingness specified pursuant to sub-clause (b), if any;
(d) upon conclusion of the second round of auction, the State Government shall issue a notice to the lessee seeking written confirmation of his willingness to exercise the right of first refusal within a period of seven days of conclusion of the second round of auction;
(e) the notice given under clause (d) shall be acknowledged by the lessee and who shall, within a period of fifteen days of receipt of the notice issued under clause
(d), exercise the right of first refusal in writing to the State Government, failing which it shall be construed that the lessee is not desirous of exercising the right of first refusal and the preferred bidder shall be entitled to a mining lease in the manner provided in the Mineral (Auction) Rules, 2015; and
(f) if the lessee exercises the right of first refusal in terms of clause (e) and matches the highest final offer price, the lessee shall deemed to be the preferred bidder in place of the earlier preferred bidder declared after the second round of auction and shall be entitled to the mining lease in the manner provided in the Mineral (Auction) Rules, 2015.
CHAPTER VII: LAPSE, SURRENDER OR TERMINATION