Hyderabad: The Union government cleared Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) to begin gold and copper exploration in Karnataka’s Devadurga region. Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy handed over the exploration licence papers to SCCL chairman and managing director N. Balaram on Tuesday at T-Hub in Hyderabad.
Singareni secured the exploration rights during the mineral block auction held by the Union Ministry of Mines in March. The company won the bid for 199 square kilometres in Devadurga with a royalty commitment of 37.75 per cent.
Singareni gets Karnataka exploration licence for gold and copper
Kishan Reddy said India must achieve self-reliance in the mining sector and urged both public and private players to work towards that goal. He noted that the Union government allocated ₹32,000 crore to strengthen the country’s critical minerals sector.
The minister congratulated the auction winners and directed them to begin exploration work immediately. The event saw the participation of Telangana Department of Mines and Geology director Velluru Kranti, SCCL director K. Venkateshwarlu, along with general managers Tadaboyina Srinivas (marketing coordination), Srinivas Rao (exploration), and Kanakaiah (R&D).
