Govt amends rules to streamline approvals for opening coal, lignite mines

The government on Friday said that it has amended the rules to streamline approvals for opening coal and lignite mines.The changes remove procedural redundancies to speed up operations while maintaining ongoing regulatory oversight.

Under the earlier Rule 9 of the Colliery Control Rules, 2004, coal or lignite mine owners needed prior approval from the Coal Controller’s Organisation (CCO) to open a mine, as well as individual seams or sections of a seam. CCO permission was also mandatory to restart operations if a mine remained closed for 180 days or longer.

To cut procedural redundancies, boost coal production, and streamline approvals, the government has scrapped the need for prior opening permission from the Coal Controller’s Organisation by amending Rule 9 of the Colliery Control Rules, 2004, the coal ministry said in a statement.

Under the amended rules, authority to approve the opening of mines or seams now rests with the board of the concerned coal company.This reform streamlines the process while keeping compliance responsibility with the company’s top decision-making body. It is expected to cut mine operationalisation time by up to two months.

“As a safeguard, it has been provided that the board of the concerned coal company can approve mine/ seam opening after the requisite approvals from Central/ State Government and statutory bodies have been obtained,” it said.

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