Bhubaneswar: Mineral-rich Odisha is also endowed with gold reserves. Deposits of the yellow metal have been detected in at least three districts, the state Assembly was informed on Monday.
Sharing this information in the House in response to a question, Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Mallik said that gold deposits have been detected in different parts of Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Deogarh districts.
The Minister informed the members that Dimirimunda, Kushakala, Gotipur, and Gopur in Keonjhar district; Joshipur, Suriaguda, Ruansila, Dhushura hill in Mayurbhanj district and Adas area in Deogarh district have gold deposits.
The presence of gold reserves in these three districts had been found during a preliminary survey by the State Mines and Geology Directorate.
It may be noted that the first survey for the gold deposit in Keonjhar district was conducted in the 1980’s. With the technology available at that time, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) had conducted the survey in some areas like Kushakala, Goppur and Jaladiha villages under Taramakant and Nayakote Panchayats in Keonjhar district’s Banasapal block. However, the outcome of the survey was kept secret.
Later in 2021-22, the GSI with modern technology carried out another survey in those areas of Keonjhar district. At that time too the GSI officials remained silent about the finding from the survey.
