July 31: The stakeholders have urged the government to promote mine extraction and mine industry. They made such appeal to the government during a sub-committee meeting of the Industry Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee of Legislature-Parliament.

Members of parliament stressed the need to keep mines extraction in government’s high-priority list.

Speaking at the meeting, Dr Rajendra Khanal, director general of the Department of Mines and Geology, informed that the department’s work has increased after the earthquake of 2015.

“The search for potential mines has intensified with approval of the National Mines Policy in April/May last year,” he stated. “Till the end of FY 2016/17, 126 mining industries have got licenses while 333 firms have received permission for exploring mines.”

Similarly, in the FY 2015/16, 121 mining industries got license for extraction and 268 were allowed to explore potential mining areas.

Khanal informed that the government’s priority as well as budget for this sector has increased the department’s activities on technical aspect related to mines and mining industries. He also added that the department is working to provide employment opportunities to 50,000 people as per its 10-year plan related to the National Mine Policy.

The department informed that it has given top priority to uranium mine of Upper Mustang and iron mine of Nawalparasi in this fiscal year.