The Union government’s decision to introduce the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Amendment Bill to prevent uneven taxation of mineral rights and mineral-bearing lands in the country is welcome. The new bill will provide certainty, stability and predictability in the fiscal regime in the mineral sector. In the process, however, the bill infringes on the state government’s right to collect charges that the Supreme Court sanctioned. This bill, however, states that “no tax, cess or such other levy (by whatever name called) shall be imposed by the state government on mineral rights”. The Centre should also make good the loss to state governments caused by this law.