Hyderabad | March 01, 2016: Aiming at increase in revenues, the State government is set to bring a new mining policy for 2016-17 financial year. Irrigation and Mines Minister T Harish Rao on Monday said that the draft policy would get the government’s nod during the next Cabinet meeting.

The Minister, who held a review with officials on mining activities in the State and the revenue generated this year, wanted the officials to examine the prospects of increasing of revenue from the mining section during the next financial year.

He instructed Principal Secretary to Industry and Mines Arvind Kumar to finalise the draft policy at the earliest and make it available for approval during the next Cabinet meeting.

He asked the officials to take all necessary measures to dispose of pending cases on mining contracts in the courts and complete the computerisation of Mining department and implement the bar code system with immediate effect.

Taking serious note of the scarcity of sand particularly in Karimnagar district, the Minister asked the district collectors to make available sand and also clear pending files.

He also asked officials to fill 425 vacancies in the Mining department, revise seigniorage charges, review progress on Bayyaram steel plant in Khammam district and complete drilling, survey and other works taken up by the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL).

(Source: http://www.thehansindia.com/)