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| State govt yet to tap rich mineral potential of state | | | Early Times Reporte
Jammu | Feb 22
The state government has failed to tap huge mineral potential available in the state due to lack of technology based strategy and awareness
Even key initiatives taken in the direction through public private partnership has failed to take off registering slow pace of growth.
Official reports have revealed that Jammu and Kashmir had over 18 different minerals which,when extracted,could be used by various industries.The report has indicated that the state had over 5000 million tones limestone,present in all district except Jammu,Doda and Poonch, which is used in cement factories and those manufacturing calcium carbide and iron.Similarly there were over 162 million tones of gypsum used for manufacturing cement,paint,fertilizer etc.Kupwara was the only district in the state where 405 million tonnes of marble could be extracted.
There were several thousand million tones of granite,coal,sapphire,borex,bauxite and other mineral resources in Jammu and Kashmir.During the last five years the state agencies and some private entrepreneurs have improved their extraction programme with the result the mineral revenue collected by the Directorate of Geology and Mining in the form of royalty rose from Rs.822.62 lakhs in 2005-2006 to Rs.1003.54 lakhs during the last year.
Official sources said that no doubt the state agencies extracted minor minerals of the value of Rs.47.92 crores during 2006-2007,which was higher by over Rs.12 crores during the last two years,much more was needed for increasing the level of extraction of major minerals which could strengthen the industrial base in the state.At present a large number of industries had to bank on imported raw material which pushed up the cost of production.
Sources said that if adequate funds and machiney were made available to the concerned state agencies the process of extraction of mineral wealth could be doubled.
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