Awaaz Punjab has separately reported the Goa mining ministers' conference itself, where Union Minister Kishan Reddy urged states to speed up mine auctions and coal gasification. Read the conference report

Chandigarh — Punjab Mines and Geology Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal has asked the Union government to restore equal weightage for minor-mineral reforms under SASCI 2026-27 (Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment) or set alternative eligibility criteria for states like Punjab, presenting the state's case at the national Conference of Mining Ministers on Reforms in Mines and Coal Sector held in Goa on November 5–6. The conference was chaired by Union Minister of Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy.

The minister's argument

Goyal said Punjab had secured first position among Category-C states under the State Mining Readiness Index (SMRI), earning a financial incentive of Rs 200 crore for its mining reforms — his own statement; the SMRI category table independently lists Punjab at Rank 1 in Category C, ahead of Uttarakhand and Tripura. He said the revised SASCI 2026-27 criteria predominantly prioritise major-mineral mine auctions and their operationalisation, while Punjab is primarily a minor-mineral state — sand, gravel and earth form the backbone of its mining sector — with no operational major-mineral sites at present. Geological limitations, he argued, should not deprive a reform-oriented state of financial assistance.

The Centre's response

According to the Punjab government statement, Union Minister Reddy appreciated Punjab's progress, assured complete cooperation in resolving the state's concerns and said the Ministry of Mines would actively examine Punjab's representation on the SASCI framework. On the sidelines, Goyal also met senior Union Mines Ministry officials — Additional Secretary Dr Veena Kumari Dermal, Director General of Mines Dinesh Ganvir and Director (Technical) Yogendra Singh Bhamboo — and a follow-up meeting on the issues discussed will be scheduled shortly in Chandigarh, the statement said.

Potash and exploration asks

Goyal presented a roadmap for potash exploration under way in Fazilka and Sri Muktsar Sahib and sought early sanctions from the National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) for potash blocks planned for 2027-28 at Patrewala, Khippanwali, Khuranj and Badian. He also sought upgradation of geological exploration from G-3 to G-1 level in Rajpura, Gidranwali and Shergarh, and said the 46 sq km Shergarh block had failed to attract bidders in recent auctions — urging the Centre to encourage companies working the contiguous Nagaur-Ganganagar basin of Rajasthan to bid for it.

Revenue and digital claims

Goyal claimed that technology-driven reforms had raised Punjab's annual mining revenue nearly sevenfold, from Rs 123.5 crore in FY 2017-18 to Rs 799 crore in FY 2025-26. He also said the Punjab Mining Management System (PMMS) portal integrates 447 verified crushers, that environmental-clearance processing has fallen from over a year to under six months, and that clearances granted have risen from 15 in FY 2025-26 to 47 so far in FY 2026-27. All of these figures are the minister's own claims, which Awaaz Punjab has not independently verified.

Note: This report is based on the Punjab government statement as published by Bright Punjab Express (November 6) and India ePost (November 7). Punjab's SMRI Category-C first rank is corroborated by the Mining Ministry's index table; the revenue, incentive and clearance figures are the minister's statements.