Mineral-rich Chhattisgarh will have a national-level geological research and training institute on the lines of Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad.
“Chief Minister Raman Singh has given in-principle approval to the proposal and asked the department of mining to prepare the work plan for the project,” senior officials with the department said. Singh, while chairing the review meeting of the department, said that Chhattisgarh had abundant mineral resources with immense possibilities for research in the sector. “The department should explore the possibilities and set up research and training institute on the lines of Dhanbad’s Indian School of Mines,” officials quoting the Chief Minister said.
Chhattisgarh is the richest state in terms of mineral wealth with 28 varieties of major minerals including diamonds. The state along with two other States has almost all the coal deposits while tin ore in India is present in Chhattisgarh only. A fifth of iron ore in the country is in the state with one of the best quality iron ore deposits in the world is found in the Bailadila mines in south.
Besides the research and training institute, the state government proposes to set up a geological park on the outskirts of the state capital. “The chief minister has directed the department concerned to make land available for the park,” sources said, adding that the officials with the mining department had been asked to start work at the earliest. The proposed park would display the rich minerals available in the state besides demonstrating the mineral wealth and potential, sources added.
