Punjab Launches Mining Portal for Transparency & Efficiency

Chandigarh, Aug 3 (PTI) Punjab Mines and Geology Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal on Monday launched the Punjab Mining Management System portal to bring complete transparency, accountability and real-time monitoring of mining operations across the state.

Launching the portal at Punjab Bhawan here, Goyal said the Punjab Mining Management System (PMMS) will integrate the entire mining ecosystem on a single digital platform, enabling end-to-end monitoring of mining activities from extraction of minerals to transportation, movement through check posts, processing at crusher units and delivery to consumers.

The Bhagwant Mann-led government had adopted technology-driven reforms to improve efficiency and strengthen monitoring in the mining sector, he added.

According to Goyal, the state's annual mining revenue has increased from around Rs 250 crore earlier to over Rs 825 crore.

The minister said the portal replaces fragmented manual processes with a centralised digital system, allowing real-time access to information, faster decision-making, better coordination among stakeholders and improved record management.

It will digitally manage the entire mining lifecycle, beginning with scientific planning under the District Survey Report (DSR). The system will process applications, environmental clearances and approvals for mining operations online.

Goyal said all records related to mining sites, from commencement of operations to closure, will remain digitally available.

The system will also provide real-time information on operational and non-operational mines, as well as the approved quantity of minerals available for extraction.

He said the PMMS portal would improve transparency by providing digital access to applications, technical assessments and agreements, while creating a digital trail to strengthen accountability.

Smart inter-state check posts equipped with FASTag, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology will automatically verify and monitor mineral-laden vehicles entering Punjab from neighbouring states, he added.

The technology would facilitate automatic fee collection, instant verification of digital weighment slips and reduce manual intervention.


Crusher units have also been integrated into the system, Goyal said, adding that smart electricity meters installed at crusher units would be linked with Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to assess production based on electricity consumption and curb under-reporting.

Crusher owners will be able to monitor raw material stocks, maintain records of finished products and file monthly returns through a live dashboard, he said.

The portal will also simplify the process of obtaining short-term permits.

Applications for K-Permits for brick kilns, K-1 permits for road construction and K-2 permits for basement excavation can be submitted online, reducing paperwork and visits to government offices.

Goyal said mining machinery and vehicles would be integrated with the VAHAN portal to ensure that only authorised and verified vehicles are allowed to transport minerals.

The portal has also been linked with the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) through a secure payment gateway, enabling direct online payment of royalties, fees and penalties into government accounts.

The minister said the PMMS portal would be implemented in two phases.

The first phase, launched on Monday, covers key mining modules and all new applications will be processed through the new system.

Existing cases will be migrated through legacy data integration.

The second phase, covering crusher and inter-state modules, will be launched on August 20, completing the digitisation of the department's major regulatory and service delivery functions, he said.

Senior officials of the Mines and Geology Department and the National Informatics Centre (NIC) were present at the launch.