The Samikhsya Bureau
Bhubaneswar: After accomplishing 124% increase in revenue generation from minor minerals in the previous financial year, Odisha has further enhanced its resource base in the sector under continuous monitoring Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy.
Tripathy chaired over a high level meeting at Lokseva Bhawan here on Friday on the sector wherein Principal Secretary Revenue and Disaster Management Bishnupada Sethi outlined the issues for discussion.
Complementing the department and field officials for their efforts, the Chief Secretary directed to “evolve the strategy for optimizing the sustainable use of the minor minerals”.
The department was advised to professionalize the Directorate of Minor Minerals with the public sector approaches for “increasing availability, meeting the market demand, achieving price stability and augmenting of revenue generation”.
Tripathy further urged upon Additional Chief Secretary, Forest & Environment Dr Mona Sharma to make State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority more efficient with necessary technical and manpower support.
Presenting the updates, Sethi said, “because of the extensive efforts in the current year, the total number of minor mineral sources, as of today, has reached 4667 out of which 1428 sources have already been put to operation”.
The Chief Secretary directed the Collectors to operationalize all potential sources by November 30.
With regard to the sources in sand rich river beds, Sethi appraised that five large stretches of river sand beds – four in Jajpur and one in Angul district – with area above 100 acres have been identified for sand mining.
Tripathy asked Principal Secretary Water Resources Anu Garg to scientifically identify such sand beds in the major rivers like Mahanadi, Rushikulya, Subarnarekha, Baitarani and Brahmani keeping in view the unabated flow of the water course and other environmental issues
Among others, Development Commissioner Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, Principal Secretary Steel & Mines Surendra Kumar, Principal Secretary Finance Ashok Kumar Meena, Secretary Works Krishan Kumar, Director, Minor Minerals Bibhuti Bhusan Das along with senior officers from concerned departments participated in the deliberations.
