Now Reading: Kerala fishermen, CM vow to fight central mines Bill
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Kerala fishermen, CM vow to fight central mines Bill
Kerala’s chief minister and fishermen’s groups have vowed to resist the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, passed by Parliament. Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said the Bill transfers states’…
The Story in Brief
Kerala’s chief minister and fishermen’s groups have vowed to resist the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, passed by Parliament. Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said the Bill transfers states’ rights over land, a State List subject, to the Union government and violates federal principles. T.N. Prathapan, chairperson of the Kerala State Fishermen Coordination Committee, alleged the Bill allows large corporate players to mine black sand from the State’s coastal waters, threatening traditional livelihoods. He cited an earlier shelved proposal to mine seabed sand off Kollam as evidence of the danger. The Centre says the amendment ensures uniform mineral rates across the country.
The Indian Opinion
The Centre says the amendment ensures uniform mineral rates, yet Kerala sees a power grab that undermines federal principles. Fishermen call it backdoor privatisation of 138 million tonnes of black sand. Both sides may be right in part, but the real test will come when the Bill becomes law. Will the State’s claims of livelihood threats hold up against the Centre’s promise of national uniformity? Watch for the first mining lease granted under the new rules.
Sources (2): thehindu.com, hindustantimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
