26th Meeting of Chhattisgarh State Geological Programming Board Concludes, 45 Exploration Projects Finalized

Focus on Critical Minerals, Deep-Seated Deposits & Record Revenue of Rs 16,738 Crore in FY 2025-26

The 26th meeting of the Chhattisgarh State Geological Programming Board (SGPB) was held at Raipur.

The meeting reviewed exploration activities of FY 2025-26 and finalized mineral exploration programs and priorities for the upcoming FY 2026-27.

Secretary Minerals Shri P Dayanand, Special Secretary & Director, Geology and Mining Department Shri Rajat Kumar Bansal and Shri Amit Dharwadkar, Deputy Director General, Geological Survey of India (GSI), along with representatives from key central, state agencies and private industry, attended the meeting.

A total of 45 new and ongoing exploration projects were finalized in the state. These include 35 Critical & Strategic Mineral blocks, 4 Deep-Seated Mineral blocks, 6 Bulk Mineral projects.

GSI will play a key role, with 25 exploration projects to be carried out by the GSI Raipur unit.

During FY 2025-26, resources of 2,590 Million Tonnes of Limestone and 32.26 Million Tonnes of Iron Ore were identified and established.

Four exploration projects sanctioned under NPEEA in FY 2025-26 will continue in the current financial year.

For FY 2026-27, the Directorate of Geology & Mining has finalized 11 exploration proposals including, 1 Graphite, 2 Limestone, 4 Iron Ore, 2 Glauconite, 1 REE & Rare Metals, and 1 Bauxite & Aluminous Laterite blocks containing critical and strategic minerals.

Shri Rajat Bansal, Special Secretary & Director, Geology and Mining, informed that the state received approximately Rs 16,738 crore from mining royalty and revenue in FY 2025-26.

Shri Rajat Bansal, Special Secretary & Director, Geology and Mining, further informed that the continued exploration of critical and strategic minerals will further strengthen the state’s mineral resource base.

Shri Rajat Bansal, Special Secretary & Director, Geology and Mining, stated that Chhattisgarh Government Focus on Strategic & Rare Minerals
The proposals approved for FY 2026-27 include blocks of Lithium, Graphite, Tin-Tantalum-Niobium, REE & Rare Metals, Glauconite and Bauxite.

The meeting also emphasized accelerating mineral exploration in South Bastar region and adopting advanced technologies for accurate assessment of deep-seated minerals.

Mineral Resource Maps of 5 Districts Handed Over On this occasion, GSI handed over mineral resource maps of five districts of Chhattisgarh to the Mineral Resources Department.

The meeting stressed enhancing mineral exploration prospects, better coordination among central and state agencies, and preparing a strong roadmap as per the requirements of mineral-based industries in the state.

Representatives from GSI, Indian Bureau of Mines, AMD, MECL, NMDC, CIMFR, CGWB, CMPDIL, MOIL, HCL, CMDC, CGCOST, notified private exploration agencies, and industry players including Jindal Steel, UltraTech Cement, Maa Kudargarhi Steel, Deccan Gold and Miki South Mining participated in the meeting.