Overview
- Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on June 30 ordered a comprehensive mineral mapping exercise across Andhra Pradesh to locate and quantify the state’s deposits.
- Officials told the review that 126 mineral locations have been identified and that improved operations have driven an 18% rise in mining revenue.
- The government has instructed the Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation to study ways to monetise mineral assets and asked experts to prepare policy options for in‑state processing to capture higher value and create jobs.
- Naidu proposed a rare‑earth minerals cluster spanning Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Kerala and directed assessments of high‑value ores such as titanium, ilmenite, monazite, and specific gold sites at Jonnagiri and Chigurugunta.
- To plug revenue leakage the CM ordered tech‑driven sand controls after saying free sand provision costs the state about Rs 1,000 crore a year; measures include CCTV at sand reaches, satellite analysis and GPS tracking of transport and will require follow‑up studies and operational rollout.