Ferozepur, Feb. 7 -- Punjab cabinet minister Barinder Kumar Goyal on Thursday assured the landowners that the state government would not acquire land for potash mining. Addressed concerns, the minister for mining and water resources said there would be neither land acquisition nor damage to agricultural land as the extraction process would entail drilling instead of open-pit mining. "This ensures that farmers will retain ownership of their land while benefiting from industrial development in the region," Goyal said.

Villagers in Muktsar district have been opposing the mining plan as they fear that their land would be acquired.

The potash reserves were discovered by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) in Muktsar and Fazilka districts a ...