The Karnataka government has decided to restart excavation activities at the long-closed Kolar Gold Fields (KGF). This decision was made during the Cabinet meeting held on Thursday. The Siddaramaiah government has approved the proposal by the central government to restart mining operations at KGF. The Karnataka government also requested the transfer of 2,330 acres of Bharat Gold Mines Limited (BGML) land for a proposed industrial township.
Post the Cabinet meeting, Minister of Legislative Affairs HK Patil announced that the Cabinet had approved the proposal as special permission from the state government is required under the MMDR Act. The Cabinet has approved the proposal to continue mining activities under Section 17 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, covering an area of 1,003.4 acres in 13 tailing dumps within the Bharat Gold Mines Limited (BGML) mining area at KGF.
Minister Patil mentioned that reopening the KGF mines would naturally create employment and job opportunities. He also stated that the state has requested the transfer of 2,330 acres of BGML land for the proposed township. However, he highlighted that BGML still owes ₹75,24,88,025 to Karnataka for the year 2022-23 and urged the central government to clear this amount.
KGF is one of the world's richest gold mines, but mining activities had stopped decades ago. Reopening the mines is expected to bring significant revenue to both the state and the central government. The Siddaramaiah government has decided to resume mining operations in at least 5,213 hectares of mines in Kolar, Bangarpet, and Bangaradinni areas. Bharat Gold Mines Limited (BGML) has once again been entrusted with this responsibility. Mining contracts, renewed every 20 years since 1973, will continue under BGML. The KGF mines, rich in gold deposits, have a history of excavation dating back thousands of years.
