Section 3 in The Punjab Minerals (Vesting of Rights) Act, 1994
3. Vesting of minerals in State Government.
(1)The State Government may, from time to time, by notification, acquire the right to the minerals in any land and notwithstanding anything contained in any law for the time being in force, from the date of the publication of the notification the right to the minerals in the land specified in the notification shall vest absolutely in the State Government and the State Government shall, subject to the provisions of the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957 (Central Act No. 67 of 1957), have all the powers necessary for the proper enjoyment or disposal of such rights.(2)If the State Government has assigned to any person its right to the minerals in any land, and if for the proper enjoyment of such right, it is necessary that all or any of the proper enjoyment of such right, it is necessary that all or any of the powers specified in sub-section (1) should be exercised, the Collector may, by an order, in writing, subject to such conditions and reservations as he may specify, delegate such powers to the person to whom the right has been assigned.Explanation. - In this section and section 4, the expression "right to the minerals in any land" includes the right of access to the land for the purpose of prospecting and working mines and for the purposes subsidiary thereto including the sinking of pits and shafts, erection of plants and machinery, construction of roads, stacking of minerals, using water and taking timber and any other purpose which the Government may declare to be subsidiary to mining.
