Odisha government is planning to set up a dedicated body for undertaking mineral exploration in the state. The corporation will be set up in line of the Mineral Exploration Corporation Ltd (MECL) of Indian government.
“We have decided to set up a dedicated body likely to be named as Odisha Mineral Exploration Corporation Ltd (OMECL) in line of the MECL of the central government. The modalities for forming the body is being worked out and it’ll take some time to be finalized. The corporation will work exclusively on the mineral exploration front”, said Rajkumar Sharma, Commissioner cum Secretary, Steel & Mines Department, Odisha government.
It is to be noted that the Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited (MECL) was established in October 1972, under the administrative control of Ministry of Mines, Government of India. The corporation aims for systematic exploration of minerals and to bridge the gap between the initial discovery of a prospect and its eventual exploitation.
MECL has completed over 1321 projects/reports and established 154,308 MnT of ores/ mineral reserves of minerals like coal, lignite, bauxite, copper, gold, lead-zinc, iron ore, limestone, manganese, magnesite, chromite, fluorspar and several other industrial minerals since inception (As on 30 Jun’15).
It has also carried out exploration for coal bed methane. It has recently diversified into mining and beneficiation of minerals, production well drilling for CBM and sampling & analysis of coal stocks.
Experts not Excited
Meanwhile, mining experts are not that much excited on the idea of setting up a separate corporation for mineral exploration, rather they have emphasized on strengthening the existing exploration bodies.
“There is no need to form a separate body for mineral exploration as the existing bodies like Directorate of Geology, Geological Survey of India are capable to do the work. Instead of forming a new body government has to strengthen these bodies by providing more financial and technological support”, said Mr. BK Mohanty, Advisor to Society of Geoscientists and Allied Technocrats (SGAT), a body of geologists and mining engineers.
He has also advised that government should empanel credible and competent exploration companies from domestic and international market for carry out the exploration works.
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