New Delhi : The Consultative Committee of Members of Parliament attached to the Ministry of Coal met on Wednesday to discuss “Commercial Coal Mining Reforms and Leveraging Private Sector Participation.” The meeting was chaired by Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy and attended by Coal Secretary Vikram Dev Dutt, senior ministry officials, coal PSU representatives and Members of Parliament.
In his opening remarks, G. Kishan Reddy said that commercial coal mining is among the key reforms introduced under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the past 12 years. He informed the committee that 14 rounds of commercial coal mine auctions have already been completed, while the 15th round is currently underway.
The Minister said that the transparent auction process has made India’s coal sector more competitive, efficient and investment-friendly by encouraging greater private sector participation. He added that the Ministry of Coal is actively engaging with industry bodies and private companies through roadshows and stakeholder consultations to create awareness and ensure wider participation in commercial coal mining.
Welcoming the members, Coal Secretary Vikram Dev Dutt said that captive and commercial coal mines have played a significant role in helping India achieve 1 billion tonnes of coal production in each of the last two financial years. He noted that these mines contributed around 20 per cent of the country’s total coal production during the previous financial year.
The Secretary also highlighted that continuous reforms have reduced the time required to operationalise fully explored coal blocks from 51 months to 40 months, while the timeline for partially explored blocks has come down from 66 months to 52 months.
During the meeting, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Coal, Rupinder Brar, made a detailed presentation on commercial coal mining reforms and strategies to enhance private sector participation.
Members of the Consultative Committee appreciated the Ministry’s reform initiatives and offered suggestions to further improve private sector participation while ensuring that commercial mining expansion remains balanced with environmental protection and community welfare.