Parliament Question: Commercial Coal Mining in Jharkhand

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 495 ANSWERED ON 22.07.2026 COMMERCIAL COAL MINING IN JHARKHAND

495. DR. BHOLA SINGH:

SHRI KALI CHARAN SINGH:

Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

(a) the number of coal blocks auctioned under commercial mining in the country including Jharkhand particularly in the Chatra Lok Sabha Constituency and the number of blocks where production has commenced along with the status of the remaining blocks;

(b) the quantity of coal produced from commercial coal mines in the country including Jharkhand particularly in the Chatra Lok Sabha Constituency during the financial year 2025– 26 and their contribution to the State's and country's total domestic coal production;

(c) the steps taken by the Government to facilitate the timely development of commercial coal mines in the country including Jharkhand particularly in the Chatra Lok Sabha Constituency through faster statutory clearances, land acquisition, environmental and forest approvals and supporting rail and road infrastructure; and

(d) whether the Government has any special plan to expedite operationalisation of commercial coal projects and promote local employment and infrastructure development in the country particularly in the Chatra Lok Sabha Constituency and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR COAL AND MINES (SHRI SATISH CHANDRA DUBEY)

(a) As of 30 June 2026, a total of 132 coal blocks have been allocated through the commercial mining auction route. Of these, 23 blocks have obtained Mine Opening Permission (MOP), and 15 blocks are currently producing coal. The remaining 8 blocks are advancing through mine infrastructure development, while the other 109 blocks are within their scheduled development period as per the Coal Mine Development and Production Agreement (CMDPA), progressing through a structured timeline covering clearances, land acquisition, and infrastructure setup.

Blocks allocated in successive auction tranches are accordingly at different stages of that timeline.

In the state of Jharkhand, 37 coal blocks have been allocated under commercial mining. Of these, 8 commercial coal blocks have been allocated in the Chatra Lok Sabha Constituency.

The details of these blocks, along with their respective allottees and current status, are as

follows:

Page 1 of 3S.No District Coal Block Allottee Status Non- 1 Latehar Chakla Hindalco Industries Ltd. operational Hazaribagh, Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Non- 2&3 Brinda & Sasai Chatra Limited operational North Dhadu (Eastern Non- 4 Latehar NTPC Mining Ltd. (NML) Part) operational North Dhadu Non- 5 Latehar NLC India Ltd. (NLCIL) (Western Part) operational Non- 6 Latehar Seregarha Rungta Sons Private Limited operational Oriental Quarries and Mines Non- 7 Latehar West of Tubed Private Limited operational Orissa Alloy Steel Private Non- 8 Latehar Chitarpur (Revised) Limited operational As reflected in the table above, all 8 blocks allocated in the Chatra Lok Sabha Constituency are currently non-operational and are at various stages of development.

(b) Commercial coal mining, introduced in 2020, has significantly contributed to enhancing domestic coal production and advancing the objectives of Atmanirbhar Bharat by promoting private sector participation, increasing domestic coal availability, and reducing dependence on imports. Production from commercial coal mines has registered consistent growth, increasing from 1.15 MT in FY 2021-22 to 26.12 MT in FY 2025-26, reflecting sustained growth in domestic production.

During the financial year 2025-26, the coal production from commercial mines in the state of Jharkhand stood at 0.35 MT. It is pertinent to note that there are no coal producing commercial mines in the Chatra Lok Sabha Constituency. The contribution of these mines to the State's and country's total domestic coal output is accordingly reflected in the aforementioned figures.

(c) The Government has undertaken a comprehensive and sustained programme of reforms to expedite the operationalisation of commercial coal mines, with a strong focus on Ease of Doing Business.In the realm of exploration, 44 private entities have been notified as Accredited Prospecting Agencies, eliminating the need for a Prospecting Licence, while the requirement for Ministry approval of Geological Reports has been replaced with a streamlined peer-review mechanism. Furthermore, the number of exempted boreholes in forest areas has been increased Page 2 of 3from 25 to 62 per 10 square kilometres, significantly simplifying the exploration process for most projects.

To further accelerate development, coking coal has been designated as a Critical and Strategic Mineral, exempting it from public consultation requirements and allowing the use of degraded forest land for Compensatory Afforestation. In a major procedural reform, the mandatory requirement for Mine Opening Permission from the Coal Controller's Organisation has been dispensed with, and the Board of the Company is now competent to grant this approval.

(d) The Government has taken several comprehensive initiatives to facilitate timely development of commercial coal mines across the country, as detailed in the response to part

(c) above. These initiatives are designed to benefit all commercial coal projects uniformly and contribute to employment generation and infrastructure development in mining-affected areas ***** Page 3 of 3