Himachal to take up mineral transport fee issue with neighbouring states

The State Government will take up the issue of imposition of charges on the transportation of minor minerals originating from Himachal by the neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttarakhand.

Stating this here on Wednesday, Chief Minister (CM) Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said this act by the neighbouring states has led to decline in the movement of minerals from the border areas of Himachal, thereby affecting revenue generation. He directed the department to take up the matter with the states through appropriate legal and administrative channels.

Chairing the meeting of the Mining Wing of the Industries department here, the CM said revenue generated from extraction of minerals in the state has registered an increase of 70 per cent during the last three years as it increased from Rs 200 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 340 crore in 2025-26.

Sukhu further said that the Centre has not revised the royalty rates of limestone since 2014, which has adversely impacted the state’s revenue. He added that the state government would strongly pursue the matter to secure its legitimate dues.

He directed the concerned departments to ensure that mineral extraction in the state is carried out in a scientific and environmentally sustainable manner.

“Development and environmental conservation must go hand in hand and natural resources should be exploited strictly in accordance with the prescribed rules and standards,” he emphasised.

The CM stressed that environmental protection must remain the top priority during mining operations. He directed the authorities to ensure that rivers, streams, forests and other natural resources are not harmed in any manner and all environmental norms are strictly enforced.

He also instructed the officers to take effective measures to curb illegal mining and initiate stringent action against those violating the rules.

“Mining activities should be confined only to the notified areas and the concerned agencies must conduct regular inspections to ensure strict compliance with all statutory provisions,” he said.

Sukhu directed the officers to maintain continuous monitoring of all mining-related activities so that environmental conservation is effectively ensured alongside developmental activities.

Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan, Principal Secretary M. Sudha Devi, Secretary Environment, Science and Technology and Climate Change Dr Sushil Kumar Singla and Director Industries Vivek Bhatia were present in the meeting.