Uttarakhand has earned ₹200 crore in incentives over the last two months for its strong performance in mining reforms and policies among all states in the country. The Centre awarded ₹100 crore each in October and November for securing the second-best rank in the State Mining Readiness Index (SMRI) and the top rank in overall mining reforms, respectively.
Uttarakhand has secured a second major incentive of ₹100 crore from the Centre for its strong performance and ongoing reforms in the mining sector. The Union Ministry of Mines has provided the state ₹100 crore under its Special Assistance Scheme for 2025–26 in recognition of its commendable progress in mining reforms. The November incentive comes in addition to a similar award of the same amount given in October 2025. The October ₹100-crore incentive was granted for securing the second position in the State Mining Readiness Index (SMRI) among all states.
Speaking on the ranking report released by the Union government, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, “Several measures such as e-auction and satellite-based monitoring have been adopted by the state government to strengthen mining activities and increase revenue for the state exchequer. Due care has been taken to maintain environmental balance while issuing mining permits. In addition, the government has tightened the noose on illegal mining, and its positive results are now visible.”
According to Bansidhar Tiwari, Director General of the Uttarakhand Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), the state has emerged as a top performer in mining reforms and policy implementation in recent years. “As per the latest ranking report released by the Centre on November 18, 2025, Uttarakhand has been appreciated for the effective and timely implementation of decisions related to mining-sector reforms. The state government successfully implemented six of the seven norms for minor mineral mining reforms, making it the top performer among all states,” Tiwari said.
DG DIPR Bansidhar Tiwari further said, “The transparent and business-friendly mining policies of the Uttarakhand government have significantly increased the state’s revenue over the last couple of years. Strict management and implementation of the new policies by the state mining department have not only boosted government revenue but also generated employment for lakhs of people.”
He further noted that the mining reforms have provided substantial financial benefits to thousands of traders and entrepreneurs, resulting in the availability of building materials at more affordable prices for the public.
The Centre’s review report and the SMRI ranking acknowledged that Uttarakhand is consistently progressing in the mining sector through the rapid implementation of reforms. This led the Centre to direct the Union Ministry of Finance to grant the state an additional ₹100 crore, apart from the amount awarded in October.