--- title: "Kerala Leaders Criticize Union Mines Act, Cite Federal Overreach" url: https://projectchintan.com/article/kerala-criticizes-union-mines-act-federal-overreach-mitko publisher: Project Chintan author: Project Chintan Newsroom section: Politics published: 2026-08-14T12:30:15.397Z modified: 2026-08-14T15:30:06.513Z language: en-IN --- # Kerala Leaders Criticize Union Mines Act, Cite Federal Overreach Kerala's political leaders are voicing strong opposition to the Union government's Mines and Minerals Amendment Act, 2026. Concerns center on the Act allegedly undermining states' fiscal and legislative autonomy and threatening India's federal structure. ## Key takeaways - Kerala's political leaders, including the Leader of the Opposition and Chief Minister, are opposing the Union's Mines and Minerals Amendment Act, 2026. - Critics argue the Act infringes on states' constitutional powers over land and taxation, threatening India's federal structure. - The amendment is seen by some as a move to benefit private corporations by restricting state levies and potentially opening up mineral wealth. - Concerns have also been raised about the impact on state-owned enterprises like Kerala Metals and Minerals Ltd. Criticism is mounting in Kerala against the Union government's recently passed Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026. Both the ruling coalition and the opposition in the state contend that the legislation disregards constitutional federal principles. ## What Happened Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan has described the amendment as an attack on the Constitution's federal framework and called for the state government to challenge it in the Supreme Court. On August 13, 2026, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan stated that the state would pursue strong political and potentially legal opposition to the Act, which he characterized as a significant encroachment on state powers regarding land and a threat to India's federal structure. ## Key Facts - The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, has been passed by Parliament. - Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan stated the amendment restricts states' powers to impose taxes, cess, and other levies on mineral rights and mineral-bearing land. - Mr. Vijayan highlighted that land falls under Entry 18 of the State List in the Seventh Schedule, and land taxation is a state subject. - One provision grants the Union government control over the regulation of mines, development of mines, and "mineral-bearing lands" under central regulations. - The Union Budget 2026-27 proposed dedicated rare earth corridors in mineral-rich states, including Kerala, to promote mining, processing, research, and manufacturing. - Mr. Vijayan alleged covert moves to dismantle the public sector undertaking Kerala Metals and Minerals Ltd. (KMML). - He stated that KMML's sandmining operations at Chavara are being curtailed, forcing it to procure raw materials from private firms at higher rates. - Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan stated on August 13, 2026, that the state government would mount strong political and, if necessary, legal opposition to the Act. - Mr. Vijayan made a Facebook post on Friday, August 14, regarding the amendment. ## Why It Matters According to Mr. Vijayan, the amendment challenges states' fiscal and legislative autonomy by restricting their ability to tax mineral rights and land. This move is seen as undermining state control over resources and potentially opening up valuable mineral wealth to private monopolies. The state government has indicated it views the legislation as a severe encroachment on constitutional powers and a threat to the federal system. ## Background The Union government's stated aim for the amendment is to boost mineral production, ensure mineral security, and establish a uniform regulatory framework. However, critics like Mr. Vijayan argue the objective is to weaken the public sector and benefit corporations. The controversy also touches upon state-specific proposals, such as the potential privatization of beach sandmining by the UDF government and the development of rare earth corridors, which are viewed by the opposition as aligning with the Union's agenda to hand over coastal mineral wealth to private entities. --- Canonical: https://projectchintan.com/article/kerala-criticizes-union-mines-act-federal-overreach-mitko Reported from: Multiple Sources