JAIPUR | Sept 24, 2015: In a bid to inflate the amount of MoUs to be signed during the Resurgent Rajasthan Summit, the mines department, acting indiscreetly, planned to put copper and silver ore rich mines before investors, on which it has already allowed mining of construction material.
Making a mess of rare national resource, the mines department handed over rare copper and silver ore rich mines at Dokam Baniwala in Sikar district to extract stones and building materials. Though the leases for the same were granted in 2010, repeated requests from Geological Survey of India (GSI) were made to the state each year to reconsider its stance.
"There are deposits of copper along with average silver deposits of 10 parts per million (10 gram silver in one tonne) spread over a bed of 15 km," said a GSI official. He added, "Copper is an important ore which is not abundant in India. Silver is even rarer and should be harnessed optimally."
However, the mine owners with disregard for the rare mineral are digging up the area to get short-term benefits. The Beniwal block has been excavated up to the depth of 30-40 meters.
Despite rampant construction mining activities going, the department was proposing to put copper and silver ore mines before the prospective investors. The preparations are on for block making and reports of GSI were used to lure the investors.
"Mines department are banking on the same filed report of GSI for auctioning of these blocks.
They are preparing to show the same content of silver and copper as it was in 2010, before mining work started in the area," added the official.
(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)