Patna, March 2: The state government is planning to explore mining possibilities of several minerals and rocks, including gold ore, mica and China clay, in districts adjacent to Jharkhand.

Mines and geology minister Satyadeo Narain Arya said in the Legislative Council today that Geographical Survey of India (GSI) would soon undertake a project to explore mining and extraction possibilities in Jamui, Nawada, Gaya, Aurangabad, Rohtas and others.

In reply to a question by JD(U) legislator Upendra Prasad, Arya said before Jharkhand was constituted, state directorate of geology had suggested presence of quartzite and magnetite in Gaya, China clay and glass sand in Jamui, ilmenite, feldspar and decorative granite in Banka and mica in Nawada district.

“Similarly, GSI had suggested the presence of phosphorite, galena, pyrite in Rohtas, magnetite and tin ore in Gaya and Aurangabad districts, base metal in Bhagalpur, and gold ore, China clay, quartzite and mica in Munger,” said the minister.

He also said: “Preliminary survey in these districts will confirm whether the suggestions were correct or not. As state geology directorate was merged in the mining directorate five years back and there was shortage of officials and scientists in the department, these projects have been pending for several years. We have requested the GSI to provide assistance to us to go ahead with the long due plans.”

He also said that government was interested to explore the mica belt adjacent to Jharkhand.

In response to a question charging that illegal mining of sand and stone was rampant in Jamui district for the past several months, Arya refuted the allegations and said the district magistrate had conducted an inquiry and reported that no such activity was on.

Salary structure

Education minister P.K. Shahi, in response to a short-notice question by RJD MLC Naval Kishore Yadav expressed the state’s helplessness to decide service conditions and salary structures for employees of government-recognised technical institutions.