Parliament Question: Operationalisation of Auctioned Coal Blocks

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 467 ANSWERED ON 22.07.2026 OPERATIONALISATION OF AUCTIONED COAL BLOCKS

467. SHRI PRADEEP KUMAR SINGH:

SHRI RADHESHYAM RATHIYA:

DR. K SUDHAKAR:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

SHRI SHANKAR LALWANI:

SHRI DINESHBHAI MAKWANA:

SHRI YOGENDER CHANDOLIA:

SHRI MUKESHKUMAR CHANDRAKAANT DALAL:

SHRI ASHOK KUMAR RAWAT:

SHRI KHAGEN MURMU:

SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB:

SHRI KRIPANATH MALLAH:

SHRI ANANTA NAYAK:

SHRI RAVINDRA SHUKLA ALIAS RAVI KISHAN:

SHRI RAJPALSINH MAHENDRASINH JADAV:

SMT. APARAJITA SARANGI:

SHRI GODAM NAGESH:

DR. SANJAY JAISWAL:

Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

(a) the progress made in the operationalisation of coal blocks auctioned for commercial mining along with the number of blocks that have commenced production and their present status in the country including Chhattisgarh and Odisha;

(b) the production achieved from commercial coal mines during Financial Year 2025–26 and their contribution to the country’s overall domestic coal output in the country including Chhattisgarh and Odisha;

(c) whether any coal blocks located in Keonjhar Lok Sabha Constituency of Odisha have been auctioned for commercial mining and if so, the details thereof including the status of production, employment generation and revenue accrued to the said State;

(d) the steps taken by the Government to facilitate timely development of commercial coal mines through faster statutory clearances, land acquisition, rail connectivity and other infrastructure support; and

(e) the measures taken by the Government to ensure sustainable mining and socio-economic development of local communities in mining-affected areas including Keonjhar Lok Sabha Constituency? Page 1 of 3ANSWER 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.

State-specific Status: • Chhattisgarh: Of the 22 blocks auctioned, 6 have obtained MOP, and all 6 have commenced production. • Odisha: Of the 26 blocks auctioned, 3 have obtained MOP. Among these, 2 have commenced production, and 1 is expected to start production in FY 2026-27.

(b) The nation’s total domestic coal production has surpassed 1 Billion Tonnes (BT) for two consecutive financial years (FY 2024-25 and FY 2025-26), demonstrating the sector's robust growth. The commercial mining initiative, launched in 2020, has been a key driver, enhancing private sector participation and advancing the objectives of Atmanirbhar Bharat. Production from commercial mines has grown consistently from 1.15 MT in FY 2021-22 to 26.12 MT in FY 2025-26, registering a year-on-year growth of 11.10% over the previous fiscal.

The production figures for FY 2025-26 are as follows: • Overall Domestic Production: 1039.81 Million Tonnes (MT). • Overall Commercial Production: 26.12 MT. • Chhattisgarh (Commercial Mines): 21.45 MT.

• Odisha (Commercial Mines): 3.41 MT.

(c) No coal block located in the Keonjhar Lok Sabha Constituency of Odisha has been auctioned under the commercial coal mining policy.

(d) 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. These initiatives are implemented in close coordination with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and other central and state authorities.

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 from 25 to 62 per 10 square kilometres, significantly simplifying the exploration process for most projects.

Significant reforms have also been introduced for statutory clearances. The 'Consent to Establish' has been integrated with the Environment Clearance process, and the authority to grant such clearances for projects below 500 hectares has been delegated to State-level Page 2 of 3authorities. 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. To ensure effective monitoring and issue resolution, the Ministry of Coal holds regular high-level coordination meetings with allottees, state governments, and MoEF&CC, and participates in an Inter-Ministerial Committee to resolve bottlenecks related to forest land diversion. Dedicated meetings with the Ministries of Railways and Power are also conducted to secure timely rail connectivity and other critical infrastructure for coal evacuation.

(e) The Government is fully committed to ensuring that coal mining operations are conducted in an environmentally responsible and socially inclusive manner. All coal mining projects are mandated to obtain both Environment Clearance and Forest Clearance under the relevant statutes. Project proponents are required to conduct a thorough assessment of the likely impacts on air quality, water resources, land use, ecology, and the socio-economic environment, and to prepare a project-specific Environmental Management Plan. This plan, along with the proposed rehabilitation and resettlement measures, is rigorously examined by the Expert Appraisal Committee of MoEF&CC, which stipulates site-specific safeguards. Compliance with these conditions is strictly monitored by the Regional Offices of MoEF&CC and the State Pollution Control Boards.

Further, there are no commercial coal mines allocated in the Keonjhar Lok Sabha Constituency. ***** Page 3 of 3