Kerala vows strong opposition to Centre's mining Bill, calls it federal breach
Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan on Thursday announced that the State government will mount strong political and, if necessary, legal opposition to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, which the Lok Sabha passed a day earlier.
Addressing a press conference after the Cabinet meeting, Mr. Satheesan described the legislation as a serious encroachment on the State’s constitutional powers over land and a grave threat to India’s federal structure. He said the amendment attempts to bring matters concerning land — a subject in the State List of the Constitution — under the Centre’s legislative orbit.
Under the Constitution’s Seventh Schedule, legislative powers are divided into the Union, State and Concurrent Lists. The State List includes Entry 18, which covers land, including land rights and land tenures. States have exclusive authority to legislate on such subjects. Mr. Satheesan pointed out that the Centre’s move to expand its jurisdiction by redefining “mineral-bearing land” could encroach upon this exclusive domain, without even excluding coastal areas and forests.
The State government will formally convey its protest to the Centre and would consider legal remedies if the Bill is passed by Parliament and becomes law, he said.
In another development, Mr. Satheesan announced that direct export-import (EXIM) cargo movement at the Vizhinjam International Seaport will commence on August 18. So far, Vizhinjam has handled only transshipment operations, with nearly 60% of the containers processed originating from or destined for other countries. The shift to direct EXIM cargo is expected to generate direct economic benefits for the State from this major port project.
The Customs Commissionerate has issued the required public notices for the start of EXIM operations. A temporary road connection linking the port to National Highway 66 has been completed in line with directions from the National Highways Authority of India. To address the lack of a Container Freight Station in Thiruvananthapuram, a Customs-bonded area has been established within the port premises, and related work is progressing.
Regarding relief for landslide victims, the Cabinet decided to extend an additional ₹2 lakh in financial assistance to all beneficiaries on the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslide rehabilitation list. The measure, previously proposed, will now be fully implemented, with a total expenditure exceeding ₹5 crore.
The Cabinet also approved moving forward with the memorandum of understanding (MoU) required for implementing the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban (PMAY-U) 2.0 through the Local Self-Government Department. The Centre has set certain conditions for signing the agreement, including one concerning the use of a specific logo or emblem for the scheme. Mr. Satheesan clarified that while displaying a photograph of the Prime Minister is not required, the State must accept the logo or emblem when signing the MoU.
Additionally, the government has issued guidelines for paying the 2025-26 bonus to employees of public-sector institutions in Kerala.
