Date | March 28, 2017:
The government desires to exploit the rich minerals to enhance the economic status of the state with a view to uplift the living condition of the rural people where rich mineral deposits are available.
This was stated in the annual administrative report 2016-17 of Nagaland State Mineral Development Corporation Limited (NSMDC) tabled on the floor of the House here today by parliamentary secretary for mechanical engineering and NSMDC Er. Vikho-o Yhoshii.
The Report stated that NSMDC, fully owned by the state government was set up by the state government and incorporated in May 1981 under the Companies Act 1956 with the main objectives of initiating commercial exploitation of limestone, coal and other mineral deposits and promoting, establishing and developing economic activities in mines and mineral based industries.
Nagaland is richly endowed with a variety of minerals. The main established mineral reserves comprise of ; petroleum and natural gas (prognosticated reserve of 600 million tonnes) in the northwest along Nagaland-Assam border, coal (with inferred reserve of 317 million tonnes) in Tuensang, Mon, Wokha, Longleng and Mokokchung districts, limestone & marble (with inferred reserve of 1000 million tonnes), magnetite with Nickel, Cobalt and Chromium (5 million tonnes of proved reserve), rich deposits of various decorative & dimensional stones and others associated metals like Zinc, Molybdenum and other possible precious metal such as Gold and Platinum groups (within ophiolites and meta sediments) in Phek, Kiphire, and Tuensang districts of south east Nagaland.
The report stated that the successive plans have been formulated with the basic aim to promote and facilitate mineral based industries in the state for economic growth as well as for generation of employment opportunities.
The report stated that planning strategies are focused to achieve the following objectives; development of infrastructures such as construction and upgradation of mineral link roads and improvement of power in collaboration with the nodal departments, initiation of mineral based industries by facilitating and involving the people/private sector with technical guidance and assistance from the government through the corporation so as to generate economic growth and employment with full justification in quantified terms and to enter into profit sharing ventures with private companies in various limestone and other mineral based projects.
(Source: http://morungexpress.com/)