Chhattisgarh earns Rs 10 345 cr mineral revenue till December eyes Rs 17 000 cr in FY 2025-26- Secretary of Mineral Resources, P. Dayanand

Raipur : Secretary of Mineral Resources, P. Dayanand on Thursday January 15, 2026 at Chhattisgarh Samvad auditorium, Atal Nagar , Nava Raipur in a press conference said that more than 28 types of minerals are found in various regions of the state. The state government prepares mineral blocks for exploration and extraction of these minerals and makes them available for mining through auctions and other means. This has resulted in a significant increase in revenue for the state government over the past two years.

Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation (CMDC) is also a partner in carrying out exploration and mining-related activities in the state.

With the objective of ensuring the supply of minerals to local mineral-based industries in Chhattisgarh and increasing mineral revenue, the state government established the Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation (CMDC) under the Chhattisgarh Mineral Resources Department on June 7, 2001. CMDC’s operations currently involve mining and marketing contracts, excavation contracts, marketing contracts, MDOs (Mining Development Operators), exploration, and joint ventures for exploration and mining.

Dayanand informed that CMDC is currently engaged in the mining/marketing and exploration of 9 minerals (Tin, Bauxite, Iron Ore, Copper, Diamond, Manganese, Corundum, Dolomite, Coal). Regarding tin, CMDC is currently undertaking the special task of purchasing tin ore to support the livelihoods of the Scheduled Tribes in Bastar. Mining and a tin smelter are also being operated through a joint venture. This mineral also falls under the category of critical minerals.

The Secretary of Mineral Resources affirmed that in the last two years, efforts have been made to provide the correct price for tin to the people of the Scheduled Tribe community at the right time. As a result, the purchase price has increased to Rs. 1926.00 per kg. Thus, approximately three times the amount is being received by the Scheduled Tribe people of the region.

As a result, there is an unprecedented increase in the quantity of tin purchased, and online purchasing and real-time payment processes are in operation. For this purpose, a TIN (Tribal Incentive for Natural Resources) portal is being developed, through which beneficiaries will receive online payments.

Dayanand informed that in the category of critical minerals, CMDC, in collaboration with MOIL, is conducting exploration work for manganese and graphite in Balrampur district, which is yielding encouraging results.

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between Coal India Limited and Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation regarding the exploration and mining of critical minerals. A joint working committee has been constituted for its implementation.

The expected results will be achieved soon, and CMDC’s participation in achieving self-reliance in critical minerals, as per the directions of the Central Government, is increasing. This agreement is not limited to mining only, but also includes mineral beneficiation, processing, technical cooperation, and most importantly, skill development opportunities for our youth. I am confident that this initiative will create employment and provide dignity and opportunities to our young generation, Dayanand added.

The Secretary, Mineral Resources, also said that regarding transparent auctions – under the visionary leadership of the Honorable Chief Minister, Chhattisgarh has witnessed remarkable transformation in mineral resource management. CMDC, through MSTC, has set new standards in tendering and mineral sales through a transparent and technology-enabled auction process.

Through this transparent auction process, on one hand, record high sale prices have been achieved in the auction of iron ore, while on the other hand, the minimum rate has been obtained in the excavation of iron ore, which reflects the success of the competitive transparent auction process.

He informed that in the last financial year, the state government received approximately Rs. 28.65 crore in revenue from the sale of iron ore produced from the Aridongri mine, and CMDC received a net profit of approximately Rs. 24 crore. From 2021 to 2025, Rs. 1.10 crore has been spent on CSR activities, and projects worth Rs. 42 lakh are currently underway.

Following the call of the Honorable Prime Minister, 14,700 trees have been planted in the name of one tree, and Rs. 29.77 lakh has been spent on this initiative. In the current financial year, the auction process for 60,000 tons of iron ore is underway in a transparent manner. More than 200 people are receiving direct/indirect employment from the operation of this mine.

In this sequence, efforts are being made to achieve the target of increasing the production capacity at Aridongri from 0.5 million tons to 2 million tons per year. A mining plan is being prepared for this purpose. CMDC operates 5 mines in Surguja district, from which the state government received Rs. 11.28 crore and CMDC received Rs. 8.13 crore from the financial year 2023-24 to December 2025. Currently, CMDC is conducting the auction of 5 bauxite mines under a transparent process, P Dayanand affirmed.

The Secretary of Mineral Resources stated that under the guidance of the Honorable Chief Minister, mining operations will soon commence at Bailadila Deposit 04 and Deposit 13 by CMDC-NMDC joint venture NCL.

The selection process for the raising contractor for Deposit 04 is in its final stages. With production commencing in both mines in 2026, the government and the corporation will receive revenue, and local industries in Chhattisgarh state will have easy access to iron ore.

As a result, CMDC’s participation in the inclusive development of the state will be significant. At maximum production capacity, CMDC will generate approximately ₹7,000 crore in revenue for the state government and ₹3,000 crore for itself, while also creating employment and development opportunities in the region.

In the category of precious minerals, the CMDC-NMDC joint venture NCL has found indications of diamond-bearing kimberlite in the Baloda-Belmundi village of Mahasamund district. Drilling work is underway to confirm this.

Under the able guidance of the Honorable Chief Minister, the long-pending Kerwa Coal Project has now achieved success. Through a precise action plan and a transparent auction, the MDO has been selected with a premium of 15.85 percent. This block has been jointly allocated to MPSMC-CMDC by the Ministry of Coal, Government of India.

This is a significant achievement in the development of the region. At maximum production capacity, the state government will receive approximately ₹150 crore in revenue, and MPSMC-CMDC will jointly receive ₹53 crore. In addition to major minerals, CMDC has also included minor minerals for mining/trading as per the instructions of the Honorable Chief Minister. In this regard, a dolomite mineral area of ​​326.167 hectares has been identified in Chhitapandariya village of Sakti district. The area has been reserved by the state government for CMDC (Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation). Accordingly, CMDC is in the process of selecting an MDO (Mine Development Operator) for mining/marketing through a transparent process via MSTC (Metal Scrap Trade Corporation).

In the Corundum mineral area, production has commenced after many years in the mining lease area of ​​Kuchnur village in Bijapur district, under CMDC. Environmental clearance has been obtained for a production capacity of 1 ton per year. Considering the livelihood and socio-economic development of the local people based on the produced corundum, training in corundum cutting and polishing is being provided to create employment opportunities.

In view of the confirmed presence of copper and the possibilities of future mining, a joint venture, Chhattisgarh Copper Limited, has been formed with Hindustan Copper Limited. An exploration project has been approved through the National Mineral Exploration Trust, and exploration work is in progress. This exploration area has been notified by the state government for a period of 3 years in the Mohla-Manpur district, covering 28.60 sq km in Hider Block and 21.75 sq km in Bodal Block.

Future Action Plan – In the last two years, CMDC has established new benchmarks and is preparing a precise action plan to provide the necessary momentum to future projects. CMDC is striving to contribute to the creation of a self-reliant India.

For tin mineral, the non-operational mine has been declared lapsed, and the auction process is underway through the Central Government. With the commencement of mining in the next 2-3 years, the state government will receive additional revenue from mining and extraction.

A pilot project is being initiated to extract tantalum, niobium, and other minerals present in tin slag. By selecting new areas, further action will be taken on the exploration/mining work plan for critical minerals through MSTC.

The current production capacity of iron ore is being increased from 5 lakh metric tons to 20 lakh metric tons. This will generate approximately ₹250 crore in revenue for the state government and ₹768.4 crore for CMDC.

With the production capacity of 2 lakh tons in the Pathrai bauxite mine and maximum production/extraction in other operational projects, CMDC will see an increase of approximately ₹10 crore in additional revenue.

In the future, joint exploration/mining work will be undertaken with Coal India in newly identified graphite-bearing areas for critical minerals. Critical minerals will be extracted from tin slag/aluminum slag. Seminars will be organized and research papers will be invited on critical minerals.

If a production capacity of 2 million tons of dolomite is achieved in the next 3 years, CMDC will benefit by ₹20 crore and the state government will receive ₹32 crore.

In the diamond sector, if the presence of diamonds is confirmed in the diamond-bearing areas identified through ongoing prospecting, the government will benefit.

CMDC will endeavor to generate additional revenue by providing mining-related services. For example, expediting the pre-embedded clearance process will make blocks available for auction sooner, resulting in revenue for the government and service fees for CMDC.

Similarly, action plans have been prepared for services such as preparing mining plans, acting as an exploration agency, drone-related work, check gate and weighbridge services, the revival of closed mines, and granite mining and cutting/polishing industries, and sand mining, Secretary, Department of Mineral Resources, Government of Chhattisgarh P Dayanand added.