Jamshedpur | Apr 2, 2017: BJP MP Bidyut Baran Mahato today said Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL), which recently got approval from the Central forest department, will soon commence mining activities in Jadugora near here.
Mahato, who had earlier held several rounds of meeting with top forest department officials and Union Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave had recently met the forest officials.
"The forest department after a meeting with forest advisory committee gave the nod last week," Mahato said at a press conference.
A lease for 50 years has also been granted to the oldest uranium mine, he said.
Asked when the mining will start, Mahato said, the file related to lease renewal of Jadugora mine is with the Union Environment Minister who is likely to give his approval in the next few days.
Mining activities had come to a standstill after the lease licence expired in September, 2014.
Referring to the demand for setting up of a 1000 MW Nuclear power plant in Jadugora, he said, the issue has already been taken up with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Atomic Energy department.
After a survey, the Atomic Energy department had said that Jadugora and its surrounding areas have rich uranium deposits which could be mined for about 1000 years, Mahato said.
(Source: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/)