First mineral auction in J&K: Centre launches limestone block bidding in Anantnag, Rajouri, Poonch

Jammu & Kashmir enters auction-led mining era with first limestone blocks up for bid. (Image source: Adobe)

On November 24, 2025, Jammu & Kashmir will enter India’s auction-led mining system for the first time. The Union Ministry of Mines will formally launch the first-ever auction of limestone mineral blocks in the Union Territory, at an event in Jammu.

The launch will be led by G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of Coal & Mines, with the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of J&K slated to attend, underscoring the Centre’s direct role in getting the process moving.

For a region where mining decisions have long sat in a fog of fragmented rules and delayed clearances, the auction marks a clean procedural start: blocks are identified, terms are notified, and bids are invited through a single, competitive route.

What is being auctioned

The ministry has lined up seven limestone blocks spread across about 314 hectares in Anantnag, Rajouri, and Poonch districts.

These deposits are classified under UNFC G3 and G4 exploration stages, meaning they are mapped and assessed enough to be auctioned, while remaining in early-to-mid exploration categories.

Limestone is a key raw material for cement, construction, and other industrial uses, and the ministry notes these blocks carry potential for high-quality output.

Why the Centre is running this auction

The auction will be conducted under Section 11(4) and 11(5) of the MMDR Act, provisions that allow the Central Government to facilitate auctions when a state or UT administration faces procedural limitations.

This is the first mining block auction in J&K since the 2015 MMDR reforms introduced competitive mineral auctions nationally. The ministry positions the UT launch as part of that reform arc, moving J&K into the same auction framework used elsewhere.

How the auction will be carried out

The ministry says the process will be transparent, technology-enabled and competitive, aligned with national environmental guidelines for sustainable mining.

In plain terms, the playbook is familiar to bidders in other states:

blocks are offered through an e-auction route,
eligibility and bid terms are standardised under the code,
winners secure leases through competitive bidding.

What the government says this unlocks

The ministry frames the auction as a pathway to:

job creation,
revenue growth,
industrial expansion, and
new opportunities for local communities

It also links the move to the broader national policy vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.