BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has approved the proposed State Mineral Exploration Policy 2026, stressing that the state’s mineral resources must be utilised transparently while maintaining a balance between development and environmental protection.
Reviewing the policy at a meeting here, Yadav said mineral wealth was an important asset for Madhya Pradesh and its utilisation should boost government revenue while creating employment, attracting investment and generating opportunities for local development, according to an official release.
He directed officials to ensure effective implementation of the policy in the public interest and said a balance between economic growth and environmental concerns was essential for making Madhya Pradesh a leading state in the mineral sector.
Yadav also called for the District Mineral Fund (DMF) to be used effectively for public welfare. He said mineral-rich Singrauli should be developed as a model district, with DMF resources being channelled towards education, healthcare, women and child welfare, agriculture, forests, environment, roads and watershed development.
“MP’s mineral wealth is a vital asset for the state’s development and these natural resources should be utilised with transparency and environmental balance, ensuring revenue generation, investment incentives, and the creation of new local employment opportunities,” he said.
The chief minister said the maximum possible benefit from mineral resources should be directed towards public welfare projects.
Principal Secretary, Mineral Resources, Vivek Porwal, said at the meeting that various measures were being undertaken to increase mineral revenue.
Under the proposed policy, the state aims to raise mineral revenue to Rs 13,720 crore by the end of 2026-27 and further to Rs 30,000 crore by 2030-31, he said.
The state’s mineral revenue had already crossed the annual target for the current financial year by the end of August, achieving 106 per cent of the target, according to the release.
Ten districts account for the highest mineral revenue in the state. They are Singrauli, Anuppur, Shahdol, Katni, Balaghat, Satna, Jabalpur, Chhindwara, Umaria and Betul.
As of the end of July 2026, these 10 districts had Rs 3,147.10 crore available under the DMF, with Singrauli contributing the largest share. The total DMF corpus across all 55 districts stood at Rs 3,574.53 crore, the release said.
Chief Secretary Ashok Barnwal, Additional Chief Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office Neeraj Mandloi and senior officials of the Mineral Resources Department attended the meeting.