06 January, 2026 – Chandigarh : To curb illegal mining and boost supply, the Punjab Government is set to operationalise 200 new mining sites and allow mining at 290 crusher and landowner-owned sites across the state.
While 200 new mining sites have been identified, the government has received 290 proposals from crusher owners and private landowners to extract minor minerals, including sand and gravel, from their land. The move follows a recent amendment to the state mining policy allowing such extraction on payment of royalty to the government.
“The district survey reports are being conducted and most of these are complete. By March-end, mining on private land will begin. With this, the supply of legally mined minerals will surpass the demand, and as a result, illegal mining will be put to end,” said Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal. He said 29 mining sites were auctioned late last year, generating Rs 11.61 crore in revenue. “We have also issued 26 letters of intent to private landowners for starting mining,” he added.
The Tribune