Kerala MP demands withdrawal of Mining Law Amendment

N.K. Premachandran, MP, has formally urged the Chief Minister and the Minister for Forests Shibu Baby John to take proactive measures to safeguard State interests against the proposed Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill 2026, terming it a calculated move to hand over mineral sand mining to the private sector.He alleged that the legislation is a direct assault on the nation’s federal structure, as it empowers the central government to take complete control over any mineral-bearing land, regardless of whether it is coastal or forest territory. “By usurping the State’s authority to make decisions on mining leases, the amendment poses a severe threat to the constitutional rights of the States,” he said.Pointing out the constitutional overreach, the MP observed that l