Amaravati, July 1: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu proposed the establishment of a cluster for rare earth mineral deposits on Tuesday. He directed officials to conduct extensive mineral mapping to identify precious mineral reserves across the state. Naidu emphasized the importance of enhancing value addition through mineral processing.
While reviewing the operations of the Mines Department at his official residence, the Chief Minister noted that Andhra Pradesh’s vast mineral wealth offers significant opportunities for market capitalization.
He suggested creating a cluster for rare earth minerals in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Kerala. Naidu instructed officials to assess reserves of high-value minerals such as titanium, ilmenite, and monazite. He highlighted that these rare earth minerals are essential for manufacturing electronics, magnets, and other advanced products, as well as playing a strategic role in sectors like nuclear energy and national security.
Naidu recommended that the state-owned Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation (APMDC) explore methods for capitalizing on valuable mineral assets and directed officials to conduct a detailed study with the help of experts.
The Chief Minister pointed out that significant revenue could be generated by adding value to minerals like beach sand, rare earth minerals, iron ore, manganese, and alumina. He noted that several Indian states have achieved revenue surpluses primarily through mineral-based income and called for a comprehensive policy focused on mineral value addition.
He stressed that processing and value addition should occur within Andhra Pradesh to maximize economic benefits and create jobs.
Highlighting the state’s potential in gold mining, the Chief Minister referred to gold reserves in the Chittoor district, specifically in Jonnagiri and Chiguru Gunta, and instructed officials to study remaining mineral blocks for future exploration.
Officials informed the Chief Minister that 126 locations with significant, bulk, and other precious minerals have already been identified across the state. They also reported an 18 percent increase in mining revenue due to improved operations.
In response to the presentation, the Chief Minister directed officials to ensure strict regulation of mining activities and maximize revenue from the state’s mineral resources. He also ordered comprehensive monitoring of sand mining and supply through advanced technology, including the installation of CCTV cameras at extraction sites, using satellite imagery for regular analysis, and implementing GPS tracking for sand transport vehicles. Naidu noted that providing free sand to the public has resulted in an annual revenue loss of approximately ₹1,000 crore for the government. He instructed officials to ensure that the free sand policy is implemented transparently, allowing the public to benefit fully without any misuse.
Present at the meeting were Mining Minister Kollu Ravindra, Chief Secretary G. Sai Prasad, Principal Secretary Mukesh Kumar Meena (Mining), Piyush Kumar (Finance), and other senior officials.
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