SOURCE :- SIASAT NEWS
Hyderabad: Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Wednesday, August 26, directed the officials of state-owned coal mining firm SCCL to expedite exploration activities in the Devadurga gold and copper block in Karnataka.
Vikramarka, who held a high-level review meeting with senior Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) officials here, said he would visit the Devadurga block on Thursday along with officials to personally assess the ground realities and the progress of exploration activities, an official release said.
The meeting organised on the company’s new projects and future expansion plans focused particularly on the Devadurga gold and copper exploration block secured by SCCL, it said. Singareni CMD Buddhi Prakash Jyoti and other senior officials participated in the meeting.
The Deputy Chief Minister said Singareni would seek the full cooperation of the Karnataka government in securing the necessary permissions, infrastructure and other support required for mineral exploration.
He stated that successfully taking forward the Devadurga project would lay a strong foundation for Singareni’s expansion from coal into the critical and strategic minerals sector.
Vikramarka emphasised that Singareni, with its long-standing experience in the mining sector, should no longer remain confined to coal mining and must expand into the exploration and mining of critical and strategic minerals.
‘All possible support from Telangana govt’
He assured that the Telangana government would extend all possible support in this endeavour.
He sought details from officials about the work undertaken so far in the Devadurga gold and copper mineral block, its geological conditions and the next steps required for assessing mineral deposits. He directed officials to prepare a comprehensive action plan to accelerate the exploration process.
Vikramarka instructed Singareni to expand its operations not only within the country but also at the international level. He directed officials to continuously monitor coal and critical mineral auctions being conducted at the national and international levels and make use of every opportunity beneficial to Singareni.
He called upon Singareni to explore mining opportunities for critical minerals such as copper, graphite, lithium and cobalt.
With electricity demand increasing due to the impact of El Niño, he directed officials to take steps to increase coal production in line with demand, the release added.
SCCL is a government coal mining company jointly owned by the Telangana government and the Union Government on a 51:49 equity basis.
SOURCE : SIASAT
