RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Monday said the state is working to build an end-to-end mineral value chain within its borders, covering exploration, mining, processing, value addition, advanced manufacturing and recycling.
Addressing a roadshow on the eighth tranche of critical and strategic mineral block auctions in Nava Raipur, Sai invited investors to participate in the exercise. The latest tranche includes 20 blocks across seven states, five of them in Chhattisgarh.
Sai said the state wanted to move beyond extracting minerals and sending them elsewhere by encouraging processing and manufacturing locally. Such an approach, he said, would attract investment, promote industries and generate employment.
He identified lithium, graphite, rare earth elements, vanadium, nickel and chromium as increasingly important for defence, artificial intelligence, clean energy, electric vehicles, electronics and advanced manufacturing.
Sai said deposits of lithium and rare earth elements had been identified in Katghora and Bastar, while graphite, vanadium and gallium were found in Balrampur, phosphorite in Balod, and nickel, chromium and glauconite in Mahasamund.
He said the state’s mineral revenue had risen from around Rs 400 crore at its formation in 2000 to over Rs 16,000 crore currently.
Union Minister of State for Coal and Mines Satish Chandra Dubey said India needed self-reliance in critical minerals while ensuring sustainable mining and protection of local communities. Mines Ministry Secretary Keshav Chandra said auctions had been initiated for 88 critical and strategic mineral blocks, of which 56 had been successfully auctioned.
Sai also launched the e-Ret Sangwari portal for concessional sand access to PMAY beneficiaries and a Tin Portal for tribal producers in Dantewada.
MoUs were also signed between Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation and Indian Overseas Bank, and between the corporation and Pandit Ravishankar Shukla University, focusing on financial cooperation, skill development and mineral value addition.