Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

'Encourage private sector in mines dept.'

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD DEC. 11. The Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, has asked the Department of Mines and Geology to compulsorily encourage private participation in exploration and exploitation of the available 48 major and minor minerals in the State, assuming the role of a promoter for itself.

At the 14th workshop on ``Governing for results,'' organised for department officials, at the Dr. Marri Channa Reddy HRD Institute here this morning, Mr. Naidu asked the department to stop export of minerals as raw material for the sake of income, and pave the way for setting up processing units wherever possible which would add value to the material.

This would not only fetch more revenue but also provide employment to idle hands.

The Chief Minister instructed the department to change rules and regulations, doing away with unnecessary inspections and permissions required by a private party for setting up units.

He said there was scope for giving a boost to mineral-based industries in the State which was endowed with vast reserves of bauxite, coal, limestone, clays, oil, natural gas, beachsand, atomic minerals, iron ore, exportable granite, slates, gold and diamonds.

The Chief Minister referred to the vast scope for growth of industries following the recent gas find in the Krishna-Godavari basin and the projects under various stages of implementation by MNCs. Indications were available that gas might also be struck in the Avanigadda area where exploration was on.

He said an extent of 44,000 sq. km. had been given to MNCs in the State for exploring/exploitation of gold, diamonds and other base metals. Aero-magnetic surveys had been completed by some of them. The data was under process. Further, leases had also been sanctioned for beachsand.

The Sate ranked second in the country in terms of the deposits available of bauxite but the problem was that all these deposits were located in the agency area. Rules concerning tribal welfare were coming in the way of exploiting them.

The Minister for Mines and Geology, A. Uma Madhava Reddy, said the State ranked second in resources and revenue, but it was fourth in terms of production.

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