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Govt amends rules to cut procedural redundancies for opening coal, lignite mines
Dec-29-2025

Indian government has amended the rules to streamline approvals for opening coal and lignite mines. The amendments remove procedural redundancies to accelerate operations while maintaining ongoing regulatory oversight. The coal ministry noted that the government has discarded the need for prior opening permission from the Coal Controller's Organisation (CCO) by amending Rule 9 of the Colliery Control Rules, 2004 in order to cut procedural redundancies, boost coal production, and streamline approvals.

Earlier, the coal or lignite mine owners needed prior approval from the Coal Controller's Organisation to open a mine, as well as individual seams or sections of a seam under Rule 9 of the Colliery Control Rules, 2004. Further, CCO permission was mandatory to restart operations if a mine remained closed for 180 days or longer. Under the amended rules, authority to approve the opening of mines or seams now rests with the board of the concerned coal company. The reform keeps the compliance responsibility with the company's top decision-making body. Besides, it streamlines the process and is expected to cut mine operationalisation time by up to two months.

The reform strikes a balanced approach, delegating operational decisions to company boards while retaining regulatory oversight and statutory safeguards. The amendment is likely to boost efficiency, speed up coal production, and strengthen confidence in coal regulatory framework, by shortening approval timelines and placing accountability at the highest corporate level.

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