KATHMANDU: The Department of Mines and Geology has granted permission for the study and extraction of minerals at eight places throughout the country.

The Department has provided permission to various companies for exploration and extraction of minerals as limestone, marble, kaolin, sand, and copper deposits.

It has given permission for the exploration and mining of limestone deposits at Tandranggadhi and Jurethum of Dhading.

The Sarbottam Cement Company has got permission for mining limestone at Tandranggadhi and Shakti Cement Company at Jurethum, Department’s spokesperson Jayaram Ghimire said.

Similarly, Orient Minerals Pvt Ltd has got permission for mining marble mine at Bhimphedi, the Gorkha Resources Pvt Ltd the sand mine at Gandaki rural municipality and the Maharjan Mines Industry has acquired permission for mining sand at two additional places of the same rural municipality in Gorkha district.

Similarly, permission has been granted to Simbhanjyang Prime Resources Pvt Ltd and Dongi Mineral Pvt Ltd Kathmandu respectively for the study of Kaolinite at Daman in Makawanpur and copper at Okharbot of Baglung.

The Department had called a tender for mineral extraction and permission at 13 places, the application was not filed at four places and one application of a place was canceled, said Director-General of the Department, Ram Prasad Ghimire.

The Department has collected Rs 370 million revenue from mineral extraction and permission for eight places. It has been carrying out activities of geoengineering and environmental study at different places in the country.

The Department has completed geoengineering and environmental study of 22 different cities of the country from 2052 BS so far.