Pioneer News Service
Ranchi
Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth on Friday described the proposed amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act (MMDR) as a historic measure that could change the economic landscape of mineral-rich states such as Jharkhand.
Addressing a press conference in Ranchi, Seth said the proposed legislation would strengthen the interests of states and contribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developed India by 2047.
Rejecting opposition criticism of the Bill, Seth said no compromise had been made with the interests of states. He claimed that nearly 90 per cent of mineral revenue would continue to accrue to the states as before. According to him, higher state revenues would accelerate development projects and strengthen economic activity in rural areas.
Seth said one of the major objectives of the proposed changes was to curb illegal mining and mineral theft. He said the Centre’s “zero-tolerance” policy towards illegal mining would ensure greater transparency and accountability in the mineral sector.
“The more legal mining increases and illegal mining is curbed, the greater the revenue generated for the government and the faster development works can progress,” Seth said.
The Union minister claimed that Jharkhand’s revenue from the mineral sector had increased substantially since 2014. According to figures cited by him, the state received around Rs 4,662 crore in mineral-related revenue before 2014, which increased to approximately Rs 33,494 crore in 2025-26, representing a rise of nearly 618 per cent.
Seth said the figures demonstrated that the policies of the Narendra Modi government had helped increase state revenues and give a new direction to the mineral sector.
He also raised concerns over India’s dependence on coal imports despite having substantial domestic coal reserves. He said the country had sufficient coal resources and could move towards greater self-reliance by accelerating mining, curbing illegal extraction and simplifying procedures.
Seth maintained that the proposed MMDR changes would bring greater transparency and stability to the taxation and mining regime and help unlock the economic potential of mineral-rich states.
He said the Centre’s approach was aimed at ensuring that mineral resources were utilised more efficiently while increasing revenue and promoting development without compromising the interests of states.
