KATHMANDU, Sept 12: The government has granted permission for the exploration and scoping study of 407 mines throughout the country in the fiscal year 2019/20. The permission for these tasks was granted to both domestic and foreign companies.
Officials said 149 companies have been given permission for exploration while 258 others have secured permission for conducting scoping study.
Those receiving permission for exploration include 10 coal mines, two iron ore mines, eight kyanite and three others lead mines. 72 limestone mines, 16 quartzite, one magnesite, two marble mines, four quartz, five ochre mines, 12 talc metal, eight tourmaline, one zinc and two dolomite mines are among those given permission by the government.
Similarly, 162 are limestone, two iron ore, three copper, nine dolomite, two gold, two granite, 27 quartzite, 27 lead, four tourmaline, two quartz, and five talc mines are granted permission to conduct scoping study.
Director General at the Department of Mines and Geology Ram Prasad Ghimire said both domestic and foreign companies have been showing interest in the mines and mineral industry in the country in recent years.
According to him, permission for exploration was given for 126 mines in the fiscal year 2017/18 and for 123 mines in the fiscal year 2018/19. The Department earned revenue of Rs 847 million 348 thousand in the fiscal year 2019/20 and Rs 770 million 300 thousand in the fiscal year 2018/19.