New Delhi [India], August 6 : 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. Secretary, Ministry of Coal Vikram Dev Dutt, senior officials of the Ministry and coal public sector undertakings (PSUs), along with members of the committee, also attended the meeting.
In his opening remarks, Reddy said commercial coal mining was one of the shining examples of many reforms introduced under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last 12 years.
The Union Minister informed the members that 14 rounds of commercial coal mine auctions had already been completed and the 15th round was currently under process.
Reddy said commercial coal mining had made the coal sector more competitive and efficient, adding that the transparent auction process had transformed India's coal sector by promoting competition and investment.
Referring to the auction process, the Minister said the Ministry of Coal was actively engaging with industry bodies and private companies by organising roadshows and stakeholder consultations to ensure greater awareness and wider participation.
Welcoming the members, Coal Secretary Vikram Dev Dutt said captive and commercial mines had played an important role in helping the country achieve 1 billion tonne coal production in each of the last two financial years. He highlighted that captive and commercial coal mines contributed around 20 per cent of the country's coal production in the last financial year.
Dutt also informed the committee that continuous reforms introduced in the coal sector had reduced the timelines for operationalisation of fully explored blocks from 51 months to 40 months and of partially explored blocks from 66 months to 52 months.
Additional Secretary, Ministry of Coal, Rupinder Brar made a presentation on "Commercial Coal Mining Reforms and Leveraging Private Sector Participation."
Members of the Committee appreciated the Ministry's efforts towards reforming the coal sector and offered valuable suggestions on further improving private sector participation and balancing commercial mining growth with environmental and community concerns.