BHUBANESWAR: Minister of Steel and Mines Prafulla Kumar Mallik on Sunday said Odisha is the leading state in the country when it comes to the use of modern technology in the mining sector.Inaugurating a national seminar on "Technological and Digital advancements in Mining and Mineral Beneficiation" organised by the Mining Engineers Association of India (MEAI) Bhubaneswar-Sukinda chapter here, the Minister said, "Harnessing technology is imperative to make mining safer and more efficient means of extracting value from increasingly low-grade deposits."
Apart from use of IT in a greater way, the State government has successfully implemented all the amended provisions of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act which has led to auctioning highest numbers of mines in the country.
Asserting that Odisha is producing more than half of the iron ore in the country, the Minister said the total production in 2021-22 is more that 110 million tonnes as against the all India production of 204 million tonnes.
In his address, Director of Mines Debidutta Biswal said there is a need for a well-developed mining and mineral beneficiating industry in the country as it provides important raw material to many industries which are the backbone of economic development.
The State government has welcomed and adapted to the changing technologies in mining and has introduced revolutionising systems like Integrated Mines and Mineral Management System or i3MS which has been replicated by many states. The State has witnessed maximum transformational changes in the sector in the last ten years.