Chandigarh, November 10, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab is expected to begin potash exploration by the end of April or the first week of May 2027, with the Centre approving 35 boreholes in Fazilka and Sri Muktsar Sahib districts. The state government will drill five additional boreholes, taking the ongoing programme to 40.
Punjab Mines and Geology Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal announced the development at a press conference at Punjab Bhawan, saying the Bhagwant Mann government had consistently pursued the matter with the Centre to explore the state’s mineral potential and strengthen India’s self-reliance in critical minerals.
Sharing the outcome of the National Mining Ministers’ Conference held in Goa on November 5 and 6, Goyal said Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy had directed senior officials to prioritise Punjab’s proposals and assured full cooperation in expediting the exploration process.
Goyal said potash deposits in parts of Fazilka and Sri Muktsar Sahib were discovered in 1989, but successive governments had not undertaken sustained exploration. Of the 35 boreholes approved by the Centre, 20 are being drilled by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and 15 by Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Limited (MECL). Some boreholes have already been completed, while work on the remaining ones is progressing.
Reports from the ongoing drilling are expected by February 2027. Goyal said the state had also planned 16 additional boreholes for 2026-27 with central approval. He added that a dedicated potash and heavy metals testing laboratory was being established in Mohali.
Explaining the significance of the project, the minister said India was almost entirely dependent on imports for potash and that domestic exploration could help reduce this dependence. Punjab has also sought early National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) sanctions for proposed 2027-28 exploration blocks at Patrewala, Khippanwali, Khuranj and Badian. The state has requested an upgrade of geological exploration from G-3 to G-1 in Rajpura, Gidranwali and Shergarh to establish the commercial viability of mineral resources.
Goyal said Punjab had secured first rank in the relevant category of the Centre’s mining reform assessment for 2025 and received an incentive of Rs 200 crore. Reforms included the integration of weighbridges, establishment of check posts, digital monitoring portals for illegal mining and installation of CCTV cameras.
He raised concerns over revised eligibility criteria under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) for 2026-27, arguing that the revised framework clubbed major and minor minerals despite Punjab primarily dealing with minor minerals. He said the state had requested the Centre to retain the earlier assessment framework or assess its performance separately. According to Goyal, Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy had asked Additional Secretary Dr Veena Kumari Dermal to examine Punjab’s concerns.
The minister also said Punjab had presented its groundwater conservation achievements at the national conference, claiming water levels had risen by two to four metres at various locations. He said the state contributed 47 per cent of India’s wheat and 21 per cent of its rice production and was now seeking to expand its role through subsurface mineral exploration.
Goyal said a State-Level Coordination Committee headed by the Chief Secretary and a Joint Working Group had been established to address land-clearance issues and facilitate exploration. He added that a follow-up meeting would be held in Chandigarh to ensure that the assurances given by the Centre translated into action.
FOLLOW NOW
