Our Correspondent
Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein has asked the officials of the Geology and Mining Department to explore mines and mineral deposits in the State.
“Our own State resources need to be tapped at any cost and mining & mineral resources is the richest which if tapped could enrich the State coffer,” Mein said during a meeting with the departmental officers including those from Arunachal Pradesh Mineral Development & Trading Corporation Limited (APMDTCL) here on Tuesday, an official communique informed.
Mein, who also holds the Finance portfolio, asked the department to provide a prospective budget by specifying the potential areas in the state while assuring to allocate necessary fund for exploration of mines and minerals exploration. The minister informed that the State Government had allocated an amount of Rs 32 crore to the State Geology & Mining Department for payment of the additional levy to the union coal ministry.
The allocation of the said amount was announced in his budget speech in the recently concluded budget session of the Assembly. The Union Coal Ministry in the year 2014 demanded the State Government to pay the additional levy imposed by the Supreme Court of India from the APMDTCL. Earlier, Director of Geology & Mining department T Tallar informed that the payment of the additional levy has to be paid in any circumstances to avoid attracting contempt of court and any further litigation.
Tallar informed that it is only after the payment of additional levy by the State Government that the APMDTCL would able to request the Union Coal Ministry for re-allotment of the coal mines and the corporation would be eligible to participate in any e-auction of local block in the country or may seek re-allocation of Namchik-Nampuk coal mine in the State. The director stated that the State Government would reap a benefit of Rs 6 crore as royalty from 32.02 hectares (3 lakh MT coal reserve) and Rs 54 crore from 94.63 hectares (27 lakh MT coal reserve) from Namchik-Nampuk coal mine if the project is take off.