Jharkhand approves a Mineral Exploration and Block Development Policy and amends its mineral land cess law

27 October 2026

The Jharkhand Cabinet has approved the Jharkhand Mineral Exploration and Block Development Policy, 2026, along with amendments under the Jharkhand Mineral Bearing Land Cess Act, 2024. The policy is to be carried out by State bodies including Jharkhand Exploration and Mining Corporation Ltd and Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation Ltd, with other eligible State entities also allowed to take part. Exploration establishes how much mineral a block holds, which the State must know before a block can be auctioned for mining. The cess Act of 2024 lets Jharkhand levy a charge on mineral bearing land, a power States won after the Supreme Court held that such a levy is not a tax on mineral rights reserved to Parliament. The Cabinet separately decided to call a two-day special session of the Assembly on the amended central mining law.