# Centre notifies MMDR Act, states plan Supreme Court challenge 2026-08-23T21:02:06+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet The central government on Saturday notified the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026, restricting states' powers to levy taxes on mineral rights and mineral-bearing lands. The act, passed in the monsoon session, was gazetted on August 22. Karnataka, Kerala and Telangana plan to challenge the legislation in the Supreme Court. The centre said states levy around 14 types of taxes on minerals, and some impose up to 20% tax on mineral-bearing lands, inflating input costs. The government argued the act provides a stable tax structure to attract investment and reduce import reliance. Around 725 mineral blocks have been auctioned so far, with 105 operational. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The amendment reverses the July 2024 Supreme Court ruling that gave states the power to tax mining activities retrospectively. Mining states like Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh stand to lose thousands of crores in annual revenue if the act is upheld. Karnataka and Telangana are among the highest mineral-bearing states, and their fiscal autonomy is now curtailed. The centre's argument on cascading taxes echoes industry concerns, but states see it as a federal overreach. The Supreme Court will decide whether Parliament can retroactively strip states of a tax power the court had affirmed. Watch for the listing of petitions in the coming weeks. ## Coverage - thehindubusinessline.com Reports the centre's notification and states' planned challenge without taking sides, quoting both the government statement and state opposition. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Karnataka, Kerala, Mines and Minerals Act, Ministry of Mines, Supreme Court, Telangana Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/centre-notifies-mmdr-act-states-plan-supreme-court-challenge/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/centre-notifies-mmdr-act-states-plan-supreme-court-challenge/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/