PUNJAB GOVERNMENT INTRODUCES LANDMARK LEGISLATION TO REGULATE MINING SECTOR
– Revolutionary act to root-up mining mafia, bringing transparency to sector, says Aman Arora
– Legislation to ensure active participation and accountability from all stakeholders in the mining ecosystem, says Barinder Kumar Goyal
Chandigarh, March 28:
In a significant move to regulate the mining and crusher industry in the state, Punjab Government has enacted “The Punjab Regulation of Crusher Units and Stockists and Retailers Bill 2025” to bring comprehensive regulation, transparency and accountability to a sector historically plagued by unregulated practices and systemic corruption, said Mr. Aman Arora, Punjab Cabinet Minister and the State President of Aam Aadmi Party.
Mr. Aman Arora, along with Mining & Geology Minister Sh. Barinder Kumar Goyal, was addressing a press conference here at Punjab Bhawan, on Friday.
Listing the key features of the revolutionary act passed by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha during the budget session, the Cabinet Minister said that under the act, the registration of all the crusher units, stockiest and retailers have been made mandatory to regulate the mining sector. “Under the new regulation, every entity in the mining ecosystem must register, ending the era of unaccounted and unregulated operations”, said Aman Arora, while adding that each registered unit will be required to file monthly return, with strict penalties for non-compliance or misreporting.
Mr. Arora said that the act also introduces robust digital monitoring through an online portal that will track every aspect of mining operations from extraction to transportation. This transparent mechanism will eliminate the historical challenges of illegal mining and environmental degradation.
Addressing the media persons, Cabinet Minister Sh. Barinder Kumar Goyal said that the legislation also establishes an Environment Management Fund to address ecological concerns arising from crusher and mining activities.
Stressing the Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led government’s commitment to cleaning up the mining sector, Sh. Barinder Kumar Goyal informed that the act incorporates stringent punitive measures, range from substantial fines to license suspension, unit sealing and potential criminal proceedings against violators.
The cabinet ministers stressed that the legislation is not punitive but reformative and designed to convert the mining sector from a hub of malpractices to a clean, regulated business environment.
“The new law mandates that units failing to file returns for two consecutive months will have their licenses suspended, with termination following three months of non-compliance. This provision will ensure active participation and accountability from all stakeholders in the mining ecosystem, said the Cabinet Ministers, adding that this initiative of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann’s government is a revolutionary step towards transparent governance, aimed at protecting the interests of both the environment and honest business operators while systematically dismantling long-standing malpractices in the mining sector.
