KATHMANDU: The Department of Mines and Geology has issued permits for extraction to 159 mines across various locations in the country.

These licenses cover a range of minerals, including iron, copper, gold, limestone, granite, ruby, dolomite, and more.

Narayan Banskota, the Information Officer at the Department, reported that while 152 permits were previously issued, an additional seven permits have been granted in the current fiscal year.

Furthermore, the Department has also authorized the exploration of 522 mines, including 63 new licenses issued in the current fiscal year.

In a recent move, the Department revoked licenses from 107 mines and companies due to delays in project implementation. Additionally, it conducted monitoring and inspection of 82 mines during the current fiscal year.

Over the past eight months of the current fiscal year, the Department has collected revenue amounting to Rs 333.2 million from issuing licenses for mine excavation and exploration.

This marks a slight decrease from the Rs 356.6 million collected during the same period in the previous fiscal year, as stated by Banskota.