Chandigarh, February 10 Punjab Cabinet minister Barinder Kumar Goyal said on Tuesday that a project-sanctioning committee of the National Mineral Exploration and Development Trust, Ministry of Mines, has approved a new exploration project titled reconnaissance survey G-4 for potash in the Choharianwali area of Fazilka in Punjab.
Goyal, the Minister of Mines and Geology, said the project will be carried out by Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Ltd across 48 sq km with an approved budget of Rs 19.03 crore and a completion period of 21 months, according to an official release.
He said that according to the approved plan, the project will be reviewed after nine months.
Last month, the minister had raised the issue of potash exploration in Punjab during the three-day Rashtriya Khanij Chintan Shivir-2026 at Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
He highlighted the delineation of promising potash resources in the Fazilka district and called for expeditious progress on drilling and geological mapping works during the 2025-26 field season.
The minister urged central agencies to prioritize potash exploration in Punjab, citing its direct link with national food security and farmer welfare.
He stressed the need for timely action to develop a credible mineral inventory, particularly in evaporite basin areas within the state.
Following the Punjab government's request for expanding exploration coverage, the Geological Survey of India recently proposed a reconnaissance survey for potash in the Kera Khera and Saiyadwala blocks of Fazilka district during the 2026-27 field season, along with preliminary exploration in the Kandhwala Ramsra block.
