The Punjab government is set to operationalise 200 new mining sites and permit mining at 290 crusher- and landowner-owned locations across the state in an effort to curb illegal mining and strengthen the supply of minor minerals.

While 200 new government-identified sites are being prepared for operations, the state has also received 290 proposals from crusher owners and private landowners to extract minor minerals such as sand and gravel from their land. The move follows a recent amendment to Punjab’s mining policy that allows mining on private land subject to the payment of royalty to the government.

Barinder Kumar Goyal said district survey reports are largely complete and mining on private land is expected to begin by the end of March. He added that once these sites become operational, the supply of legally mined minerals will exceed demand, effectively eliminating illegal mining activities.

Goyal said 29 mining sites were auctioned towards the end of last year, generating revenue of Rs 116.1 million for the state. In addition, 26 letters of intent have already been issued to private landowners to initiate mining operations.

The government said the expanded legal mining framework is aimed at ensuring adequate availability of construction materials, improving transparency in the sector and enhancing state revenues, while discouraging unauthorised extraction.