Technology and policy guidelines can shape the unorganised gemstone sector in Odisha which has potential to add substantial revenue to the State and also can boost the local economy in the region, said Additional Chief Secretary, Steel and Mines, RK Sharma.
Sharma was speaking in a workshop on “Gemstones in Odisha – Exploration and Exploitation Strategy” here on January 3.
The workshop was organised by the Odisha Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited (OMECL), a newly formed State PSU under the Department of Steel and Mines, Government of Odisha.
OMECL and OMC Managing Director R Vineel Krishna, who also spoke on the occasion, emphasized that there is huge potential for employment in gemstone industry in Odisha which needs to be tapped. The OMECL will strengthen and upscale the exploration of gemstones in various regions of the State, he added.
Director, Mines, Deepak Mohanty and MECL CMD Ranjit Rath also deliberated on exploring gemstones in the State.
Experts from countries like Zambia, Columbia, Mozambique and Madagascar where large-scale gemstone mining is being carried out, participated in the workshop. Senior Government officials, eminent geoscientists, and CEOs of industries of the respective fields also attended the programme.