Chhattisgarh Mineral Resources Department Secretary P. Dayanand said on Wednesday that the state has generated Rs 13,000 crore revenue from minerals in 2023–24.
He was addressing the 24th meeting of the Chhattisgarh Geological Programme Board in Raipur.
This is a growth of 30 times since Chhattisgarh's formation, he said.
Minerals play a key role in the development of any country or state. They must be explored to establish new industries, he said.
He emphasised using modern equipment to explore mineral resources. The meeting finalised the plans to explore mineral reserves for 2024–25.
Director of Geology Sunil Kumar Jain said that this year, a total of 1,050 million metric tonnes of limestone and 179 million metric tonnes of iron ore were extracted.
Officials from both the Central and state governments delivered presentations on the progress of exploration work in Chhattisgarh. The Directorate of Geology and Mining in Chhattisgarh has approved 12 projects for survey-prospecting in 2024–25. Also, approval was granted for survey-prospecting on 44 projects to various institutions.