Georgia Green Signals RMG Gold to Instigate Gold Mining at Heritage Site

ATLANTA (Scrap Monster) : The government of Georgia is reported to have waved the green light to a Russian-owned mining company, the RMG Gold to instigate gold mining at Sakdrisi-Kachagiani, a protected historical site in Georgia . Georgia seems to have turned to gold excavation and as a step towards gold hunt, the Ministry of Culture and Heritage Protection of Georgia has allowed RMG gold to start mining at the heritage place Sakdrisi-Kachagiani, which is a nine-hectare site in Southeastern Georgia. This place is claimed by the archeologists of the country as the oldest gold mines of the world. The site was in news in 2004 when various caves and mining tools were excavated from the region that indicates its historical value.

The date of starting mining is not been announced yet under uncertainty of prolonged strikes by mineworkers that began from Jan. 24. It is also been criticized that the archaeological controversy is being utilized by the company for doubtful labor practices. Meantime, environmentalists and archaeologists of the country have informed their objections regarding the Govt.’s nod for excavation at a historically unique site. The activists and representatives were blocked from entering the site for protect on March 17, thereby evading the clamor of civil-social activists to carry out independent study at the area with archaeological value.

A copper mine of RMG is located near to Sakdrisi at close proximity to a village of Kazreti, known as RMG Copper, which is the sibling company of RMG Gold. Sakdrisi has been enjoying the protected status all these year which prohibited any mining at the area citing its historical significance which dates back to the third millennium, BC. Prime Minster of the country, Mr.  Irakli Gharibashvili, on March 13 had informed the decision of lifting the protected status of the site. He said that the RMG gold had invested $ 300 million for the project and had hired 3,000 employees for mining. He stated this as a positive sign of country’s economic and employment growth rate.

RMG gold is evolved from a former top mining company of Georgia, the Madneuli. They had requested the Govt. to sanction excavation at Sakdrisi so as to grab fresh gold from the site. Regarding the wage strike, the compabt says that they can start paying the worker only after mining operation is done at the area. Despite Govt. mediation talks, the strike sees no sight of settlement so far. Regarding the historical value of the site, Govt. slams it as a mere myth.