Congress-backed State govts rally to overturn new mining law in Supreme Court

State governments with Congress legislatures are contemplating taking the recently enacted Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026 to the Supreme Court, contending that the legislation infringes upon the States' jurisdiction. Karnataka, Telangana, and Himachal Pradesh have already expressed their intention to contest the amendment in the highest court.

The Congress is currently in discussions with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha to garner the assistance of the Jharkhand government in disputing the amendment before the apex court.

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, which was approved by Parliament on August 13, intends to curtail the ability of States to impose taxes on mineral rights and mineral-bearing lands. Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy clarified in a statement to the Rajya Sabha that the law does not intend to infringe upon the States' autonomy or revenue rights; rather, the objective is to maintain uniform mineral rates throughout the country.

Reddy emphasized that the Centre aims to regulate only major minerals such as coal, limestone, iron ore, copper, and manganese, while retaining the States' authority over 49 minor minerals.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara appealed to the Central government on Tuesday to rescind the amendment Act, citing concerns over its restrictive provisions. He sent letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy regarding the matter. In Kerala, where the Congress recently secured power, Chief Minister V D Satheesan stated that the amendments to the Act contravene federal principles and vowed to vigorously oppose them.