The North News
Chandigarh, March 26
With a view to curb illegal mining, the Punjab Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has approved the Punjab Regulation of Crusher Units Act 2025. The decision was made during a meeting of the Council of Ministers at the Chief Minister’s official residence. The Cabinet has agreed to introduce the Act in the ongoing state assembly session. The legislation aims to strengthen the regulation of crusher units and screening plants processing sand and gravel, promoting legal mining and curbing illegal operations.
The Cabinet also approved amendments to the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, to create a more business-friendly environment. The amendment seeks to reduce business costs and boost economic growth. It specifies that if stamp duty has been paid on a loan and the loan is later transferred to another bank or financial institution without changes to the mortgaged property, no additional stamp duty will be imposed—unless the new loan amount exceeds the previous one, in which case only the difference will be charged.
