KATHMANDU, May 22: The Department of Mines and Geology (DoMG) has granted 420 licenses for prospecting. 

In the current fiscal year 2022/23, the DoMG has granted licenses to 420 miners to search for potential mines in the country for the promotion of Nepal's mineral industry.

Information Officer at the DoGM, Narayan Baskota, said that licenses have been granted by the Department for exploration of potential mines such as iron, copper, gold, limestone, granite, ruby, and dolomite. Last year, the Department granted licenses for 450 mines.

The DoGM has given permission to 159 mines for mining in the current year, while last year it had given permission to 158 mines. Information officer Baskota said that the department has granted permission to prospect a mine in Nawalparasi for Dhauwadi iron ore mining.

The DoGM, which has been officially established since 2033 BS has been working in the field of mining and geology and granted licenses to various companies for mining. The limestone required by Udaipur Cement Factory, Hetauda Cement Industry is the limestone studied and provided by the Department of Mines.

Director General of the Department, Dr Sudhir Rajaure, said that the mining Department is studying mining in more than ten places this year alone. According to him, iron is being studied in Luhakot in Sankhuwasabha, copper in Dingla in Bhojpur, granite in Khaniakhark in Sindhuli, dolomite in Sunaula Bazar in Dhading, ruby in Ganesh Himal in Dhading, copper in Rukum, iron in Ratuwamai in Udayapur, ceramics in Madhesh province and limestone in Benighat in Dhading.

Although the DoGM is studying the feasibility of mining, there is a problem in getting mining reports on time due to lack of technical staff in the lab. Every year, the department studies the potential of mining in different places of the country, but it takes years to get the report.

Although there are 11 people in the department's lab for checking mineral substances, only two people are currently working. Due to the lack of manpower, the report of the mine studied in the year 2072BS has not been published yet.

The DoGM has collected Rs 356 million revenue by granting permission and license for mining till Falgun (mid-February to mid-March) of the current year. Last year, till Falgun, it had collected Rs 934 million revenue.

 
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