Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has suggested establishing a cluster for rare-earth mineral deposits in the state. He has instructed officials to conduct thorough mineral mapping to identify valuable deposits and focus on enhancing value through mineral processing. The Chief Minister highlighted the strategic importance of rare earth minerals in various sectors such as electronics, magnets, nuclear energy, and national security.
Chandrababu Naidu also proposed setting up a rare-earth mineral cluster in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Kerala, emphasizing the need to assess reserves of high-value minerals like titanium, ilmenite, and monazite. He urged the Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation to explore opportunities for market capitalization of these assets and conduct a detailed study with expert assistance. The Chief Minister stressed the economic potential of adding value to minerals like beach sand, rare-earth minerals, iron ore, manganese, and alumina.
Noting the revenue opportunities in gold mining, Chandrababu Naidu mentioned the gold reserves in Chittoor district and instructed officials to explore other mineral blocks for future mining. Officials informed him about the identification of 126 locations with critical and valuable minerals in the state, leading to an 18% increase in mining revenue. The Chief Minister directed strict regulation of mining activities to maximize revenue and ensure transparent implementation of the free sand policy for the public.
