Bhubaneswar: A gold mine has been found in Deogarh’s Adasa-Ramapalli area and inspections are underway to explore more gold deposits, Steel and Mines Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena told the Odisha Assembly on Thursday.
“The gold mine was discovered while the Geological Survey of India (GSI) was carrying out a G2 level inspection for copper ore in the region. A plan is being prepared to auction the block,” he said while replying to a query of Jeypore MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati during the zero hour.
Jena further informed that the G2 level re-inspection is being jointly carried out by the GSI, Directorate of Mines and Geology since 2021-22 based on a primary survey report on gold deposits at Gopur-Gajipur area in Keonjhar district in 1981-83 and 1989-96. However, there is no plan for excavation since the standard and quantity of the gold mine is yet to be fixed, he said.
Media reports, quoting GSI experts, had earlier said that an estimated 1,685 kg of gold ore, along with copper, has been detected in the Adas area. And some preliminary estimates showed that 2.5 gm to 10 gm of gold per one-tonne ore in a quartz vein 60 metres long and one metre wide in the Gopur area.
A fresh survey is being conducted at Adasa-Ramapalli area in Deogarh and Dimirimunda, Kushakala, Gotipur, Gopur in Keonjhar and Joshipur, Suriaguda, Ruansila and Dhushura hill in Mayurbhanj to determine the amount of gold deposits before the procedure of auction takes place, the Minister said, adding that there are no plan for setting up a processing unit for extracting gold from ores.
Gold deposits are also likely at several places in Sundargarh, Nabarngpur, Angul, Koraput, Malkangiri, Sambalpur and Boudh districts, but no survey has so far been conducted to explore these areas. However, there has been no official confirmation in this regard.
In March 2023, the then Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Mallik had informed about presence of gold reserves in three districts including Deogarh, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj. “These gold deposits have been found at four places in Keonjhar District, four places in Mayurbhanj District and at one place in Deogarh district.”
