Bhubaneswar: The state government has constituted a separate directorate for minor minerals in an attempt to curb their illegal lifting.
The state Cabinet has approved the proposal for formation of the Directorate of Minor Minerals in its last meeting.
As per a notification issued by the government, a directorate of minor minerals has been created under the administrative control of Revenue & Disaster Management department for scientific and sustainable management of minor mineral sources and to augment the revenue from them.
The new directorate will work for identification of minor minerals and sairat sources in a scientific manner, and prepare mining plan and environmental management plans of the identified mines and lease/settle identified sources in a transparent manner.
Besides, it will also function for prevention of illegal quarrying and lifting of minor minerals and sairats.
The agency will have a director of additional secretary rank, two joint directors, four joint/deputy/assistant directors along with chief accounts officer, section officer, senior assistant and junior mining officer. Other supporting staff will also be appointed in the directorate.
Minor minerals like sand, ballasts, chips, bajri, gravel of ordinary stones, river shingles, pebbles and rock fines generated from stone crushers will be come under the control of the directorate.