Relax mining act to attract investment in Marble, granite industry

Srinagar, July 23 (UNI) The Chamber of Kashmir Marble and Granite Industries (CKMGI) has requested the Jammu and Kashmir government to relax certain stipulations in the mining Act, to attract investment to explore the deposits of marble and granite worth billions of rupees.

A spokesman of the CKMGI said the valley had rich quality deposits of marble and granite worth more than Rs three lac thousand crores lying unexplored. It needs huge investments, he said.

Just to cater to the local demand only, there is immediate need to enhance the processing capacity from one million to twenty million sfts annually, he said.

However, he expressed satisfaction that the Jammu and Kashmir Bank (JKB) has now decided to provide all possible financial assistance for exploitation of the rich deposits of marble in the frontier district of Kupwara and other areas.

He said JKB has constituted a three-member committee who will visit marble mines as well as processing units in Kupwara.

The committee will conduct on-the-spot assessment of need based financial requirements of existing marble units and would work out reasonable modalities for prospective entrepreneurs.

He said director Geology and Mining has recently conducted a visited various mines and processing units in Rajisthan and has collected vital technical information which would help local entrepreneurs to a great extent.

Meanwhile, Commissioner and Industries and Commerce S S Kapoor along with Director Geology and Miming Anaytullah Khan visited mine sectors in Uri tehsil, where huge Gypsum is available.

Kapoor underlined the need of preserving the precious wealth of Gypsum mines and to take measures to increase its production by identifying Gypsum with scientifically methods.

He also hailed the steps taken by the department of Geology and Mining in maintaining the quality of Gypsum.

While appreciating the efforts of the department he said that with immense production of Gypsum the department has generated a good amount of revenue to state exchequer.

UNI BAS RA KP1440