Mining policy: Now, individuals in Punjab can apply online for mining licences

Punjab government on Tuesday said that the new mining policy fundamentally shifts the control of sand and gravel resources directly into the hands of the people by allowing individual landowners to do mining after obtaining permission from the mining department.

This will effectively curb corruption and significantly increase state revenue, said finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema and mining and geology minister Barinder Goyal.

Cheema and Goyal also unveiled standardised online application forms for landowner mining sites (LMS) and crusher mining sites (CRMS) on the official Punjab mining portal.

Cheema said the key highlight of the new policy is the empowerment of landowners as under this revamped framework, landowners will now have the direct right to mine sand and gravel on their land without the need for auctions.

“We are committed to ensuring complete transparency and accountability in the mining sector, in contrast to the previous SAD-BJP and Congress regimes that encouraged illegal mining to fill their coffers,” Cheema said.

Cheema said that the new mining policy incorporates robust technological measures to eradicate illegal mining activities with the mandatory deployment of cameras and radio frequency identification (RFID) surveillance across mining sites and transportation routes.

“This pivotal change would eliminate the role of intermediaries and potential for monopolisation, placing the power directly with the rightful owners of the land,” Cheema said.

Highlighting online mining application procedures, the FM said landowners can now seamlessly apply for mining permissions through a user-centric interface that prioritises accessibility and simplicity.

The applications will be processed with unprecedented expediency, ensuring that eligible landowners can commence legitimate mining operations without procedural impediments, he said

Goyal said that this initiative features immediate application availability for sites already included in approved district survey reports (DSRs), alongside a streamlined pathway for landowners with mineral-bearing lands not yet included in DSRs to approach district administration or department of mines & geology through the district mining officer.

“The simplified application forms minimise documentation requirements, focusing only on essential credentials including landowner details, land particulars and mining proposals,” Goyal said.

State not allowed to explore potash reserves: Goyal

Goyal accused the Centre of ‘discriminating’ against the state on the issue of exploration of potash whose reserves were discovered in Muktsar and Abohar.

Goyal said Punjab is facing ‘unjustifiable’ treatment regarding the development of its valuable potash deposits, a mineral resource that could bring tremendous economic and agricultural benefits to both the state and the nation.

“Despite the discovery of substantial potash reserves near Muktsar and Abohar regions, an area bordering Rajasthan where similar deposits have been found, the Union government has consistently withheld necessary approvals for further exploration and development,” Goyal said here.

“Potash is a crucial mineral that is not found elsewhere in the country. Currently, India imports 100% of its potash requirements, which significantly depletes our foreign exchange reserves,” the minister said.

Stating that discrimination is evident in the allocation of exploration efforts, he said while 158 drilling sites have been set up in the adjacent area in Rajasthan to determine the location, quality, and quantity of potash deposits, merely nine drilling sites have been permitted in Punjab.

“This glaring disparity was formally raised during a recent all-India mining and geology ministers’ conclave in Odisha,” he said.

“I brought this matter to the attention of Union minister G Kishan Reddy, who invited me to visit the site and subsequently meet him in Delhi for comprehensive discussions,” he said.

Goyal said that potash extraction would occur about 450 metres below the surface, with minimal disruption to agricultural activities thus dispelling widespread misconceptions among residents who feared their lands would be permanently acquired.

The test drilling required only a negligible portion of land, one evaluation site utilised just a fraction of a 25-acre agricultural plot, he pointed out.

“The development of domestic potash resources would significantly advance national self-reliance, substantially reducing India’s dependence on international markets and conserving valuable foreign exchange,” he said

To be sure, according to the assessment made by the Geological Survey of India (GSI), the reserves are not likely to be harnessed, at least for the next few years.

Officials said the assessment made by the central agency so far says it may not be economically viable to mine potash as the mineral has a low concentration of 7-10%.