The new Gemstone Policy, 1998 enumerated above is expected to have the following advantage :(i)Opening up of the gemstone tracts will ensure large scale scientific exploitation of resources resulting in higher employment and royalty.(ii)The lesses would be able to gradually set up lapidary units inside the State for value addition and other local lapidary units would be able to procure raw material from the lessees as well as the trading licencees. All these would help create greater employment and generate higher revenue through sales tax etc. on value added products.(iii)Introduction of trading licence will encourage entrepreneurs/business to carry out free trade in Gemstone and stop clandestine activities and smuggling Competition by many trading licencees to purchase from finder will ensure reasonable price to this latter. Besides, considerably higher trading licence fee will add to the Government income in addition to royalty from the licencees.(iv)This policy will bring about transparency and openness to exploitation of gemstone resources in the state while augmenting employment and State resources.
