Chhattisgarh to set up museum to showcase its mineral reservoir

Project to come up at a cost of Rs 4 crore, released from the state's mineral development fund

Chhattisgarh would build a big museum in the state capital of Raipur to exhibit the mineral resources in the region.

Besides the physical display of minerals, the museum would also exhibit detailed information related to the reservoir of resources available in the state. The project would be backed by funding from the state’s mineral development fund.

“The advisory committee of the fund had approved the proposal and allocated Rs 4 crore for building the museum,” said mining department officials. The project would be developed by the Chhattisgarh Science Centre.

State officials said it would be a major project for the region as well as the country. The mineral-rich state of Chhattisgarh has a bulk of natural resource to offer, including iron ore, coal, limestone, dolomite, bauxite, graphite and quartzite, among others.

The state also has high-value minerals like cassiterite, diamond, gold, corundum and other gemstones, besides precious base and rare metals. The museum is aimed at spreading awareness about the state’s mineral capacity.

In 2003, an advisory committee of the Chhattisgarh mineral development fund was set up to ensure utilisation towards mineral exploration and mining activities. Approved proposals were to be executed at an amount of Rs 443.81 crore. Of the amount, Rs 300 crore would be spent on the expansion of road network across the state.

In addition to this, the state had set aside around Rs 87.20 crore for the expansion of rail network in the region, while another sum of Rs 22.25 crore was earmarked for the development of its aviation network.