Jamshedpur, May 7: In a move to strengthen the country's nuclear power programme , the department of atomic energy (DAE) has decided to mine uranium in fresh areas of East Singhbhum.

The department plans to invest nearly Rs 600 crore in the next five years to increase the production of uranium at its Jadugoda-based unit, Uranium Corporation of India (UCIL), to enhance India’s nuclear power programme.

Highly-placed Ucil sources told The Telegraph that various projects have been lined up and company authorities have sought permission from the East Singhbhum district administration to start the projects.

Ucil chairman-cum-managing director Ramendra Gupta in a letter to deputy commissioner Nidhi Khare, requested her to grant permission to the company to undertake the new projects. Ucil sources said one of the top priorities of the country at present is to become a major nuclear power major.

“We have increased our production capacity to achieve the target,” officials said.

At present, India’s nuclear power generation is 2720 mw. DAE has chalked out a plan to increase the nuclear power supply in each five-year plan so that by end of 2020 the total power generation of the country shoots up to 20,000 mw.

“We have planned to set up a Rs 350-crore state-of-the-art processing plant at the Turamdih mines to enhance the processing of vast quantities of uranium,” said a Ucil official.

Ucil authorities have also decided to start mining near Bandohoranga village, a few kilometres from the company’s Turamdih mines that became operational recently.