“The Government is according focused attention on making mining operations profitable through enhanced production and sale”, stated Minister for Industries and Commerce, Chander Parkash Ganga, while chairing the 169th meeting of the Board of Directors of JK Minerals Limited held at Civil Secretariat, here today.Minister stressed upon the need for evolving an effective working plan for extraction of minerals in the State to achieve optimum production capacity. “The Government endeavors to explore all possibilities to harness the abundant mineral resources of the State to boost the economy,” he added. He exhorted upon the security and safety of the workers working in the mines saying that it should be the top concern and duty of the corporation to ensure that their employees work in a total secure and comfortable manner for optimum outcome of their services.Vice Chairperson J&K Industries Limited Syed Attullah Simnani, Commissioner Secretary, Industries & Commerce, Shailendra Kumar, Director Geology and Mining Department, Farooq Ahmad Khan, MD JKML, Abid Suhail, besides other board members were present in the meeting.
The Minister stressed the need for optimum harnessing of highly rich cast gypsum mines located at Assar in Doda and at Parlanka in Ramban besides coal mines at Kalakote and Sapphire Mines at Paddar, Kishtwar. He directed the officers to make all out efforts to ensure that all these mining operations are made profitable through enhanced production and marketing. He asked for the fresh proposal to close down the Moghla (Metka) mine and tendering for the 70 lakh ton Gypsum to be mined and exported in a time bound manner.
It was observed that in order to ensure timely excavation of 5 million tons of Gypsum from the project site, the Parlanka Mine area should be bifurcated into 2 to 3 sub-sectors so that the huge submerging Gypsum reserves are excavated within the next five year period with annual production target line fixed at 10 lakh tones per annum.Earlier, the Board members reviewed the progress on various projects undertaken by JK Minerals in the State.MD JKML, Abid Suhail informed the board that in the first two quarters of the current financial year the corporation achieved the production target of 7100 ton coal and 53500 ton gypsum against the set target of 7 thousand ton coal and 50 thousand ton gypsum, respectively. The corporation has generated revenue to the tune of Rs 6.30 crore against sale of coal and 4.43 crore against the sale of gypsum during current financial year, he further added.The Board discussed agenda points including confirmation of minutes of 169th meeting of the Board of Directors, implementation report on the previous decisions of the Board, business plan of the Corporation, extraction of gypsum through outsourcing arrangement at Gypsum project Parlanka, acquisition of land at Kashmir Wayun and others.