Odisha to revise policy to regulate gemstone sector

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government is going to revise its existing policy to regulate the unorganised gemstone sector to earn about Rs 50-60 crore revenue per annum.

The government is losing substantial revenue due to lack of a suitable policy to regulate the sector.

“We have gemstone deposits in Kalahandi, Rayagada, Koraput, Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts. In the absence of a policy to regulate the sector, we are not getting any revenue from the deposits. To tap this sector, we are aiming to bring a revised policy, the draft of which is expected to be ready by March this year”, state steel and mines minister Prafulla Mallick said on the sidelines of a workshop here.

The minister said the state government hopes to mop up Rs 50-60 crore every year from gemstone mining every year.

Informing that there is the need to amend the policy to regulate the sector, he said the government would prepare the draft policy by March this year.

With the gemstones are being transported to other states from Odisha, he said the policy would regulate illegal transportation besides exploration while a violation of norms would attract possible punishment.

He said more employment could also be created through the policy.

The existing Odisha Gemstone Policy 1998 needs to be revised to make it more convenient for the promotion of gemstone exploration, mining, processing and trading activities in the state for overall sustainable development of gemstone resources.

The state directorate of geology has been providing the service of commercial gem testing in its laboratory. As many as 3459 samples were analysed during 2014-15.