Minister seeks shift of regional offices of GSI and Bureau of Mines to AP
VIJAYAWADA: Mines and Geology Minister Kollu Ravindra met Union Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy on Tuesday and presented several proposals to bolster the mining sector in Andhra Pradesh.
Ravindra emphasised the urgent need for establishing the regional offices of the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) in AP. The discussions centred on enhancing both infrastructure and investment in the state’s mining sector.
"There is huge scope for mining of beach sand minerals (BSM) in AP and the state government plans to develop an Integrated Beach Sand Minerals Project including downstream plants for value-added products. This is likely to attract investment of around Rs 10,000 crore," he said.
The AP minister explained that the state has submitted proposals for reservation of 16 BSM bearing areas over 16,604 hectares, in favour of APMDC. Of these, the central government has approved 3 areas covering 1,000ha, which “will be exhausted within 12-13 years.” He sought central approval to grant additional areas of upto 3,000ha as was permitted under Section 6 of MMDR Act.
Ravindra told Kishen Reddy that the regional offices of GSI and IBM were still operating from Hyderabad, though a decade had passed after the bifurcation. He sought establishment of their regional offices in AP.
He also proposed the setting up of a Premier Mining Institute in Andhra Pradesh. “This would bolster the state’s mining sector.”
Ravindra said introducing specialized courses in mining and mineral processing at the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and National Institutes of Technology (NITs) in AP would greatly benefit the state. These curriculums can be decided in coordination with IIT (ISM) Dhanbad in ways as to align them with industry standards. This would effectively address the evolving needs of the mining sector, he said.
An official release here said the minister also sought the establishment of a dedicated Granite Promotion Board in AP. Seeking reservation of iron-ore and coal mines for RINL, he proposed allocation of captive iron ore and coal mines to RINL as a special case.
Ravindra noted that although China was not the largest producer of critical minerals such as nickel, cobalt and rare earth, it controlled the global market as the leading processor of these resources. “Similarly, AP, by leveraging its extensive coastline and port infrastructure, can set up processing units. We request the central government’s support in view of the nation’s need for development of critical minerals,” he said.
He proposed that a policy for incentivizing the processing and extraction of critical minerals from by-products/ tailings generated during production of primary minerals be framed.
Ravindra also pleaded that the GSI fully explore these blocks, at least to the G3/G2 level, to enhance confidence and quantify the available resources. He sought the Centre’s support in promoting quartz-based value-addition industry in AP, through tie-ups with domestic and foreign investors and facilitating offshore mining development in AP, the release said.
