West Bengal Seeks to Unlock Jhargram's Manganese Potential
West Bengal is set to unlock its manganese potential in Jhargram district through a joint reconnaissance survey. The Directorate of Mines & Minerals has approved an exercise covering several manganese-bearing areas, including Simulpal, Labani, and Bhandarchua.
The field survey is scheduled from September 15 to 19, 2026, with MOIL Limited, the Geological Survey of India (GSI), the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), and the West Bengal Mineral Development & Trading Corporation Limited (WBMDTCL) participating.
Jhargram's manganese reserves could emerge as an important source if the reconnaissance exercise establishes commercially viable deposits. Critics have accused previous administrations of failing to adequately tap Bengal's mineral-rich regions due to administrative delays and policy bottlenecks.