Coal Ministry has reviewed progress of 71 captive and commercial coal mines that are in various stages of process completion. The Ministry said that the coal blocks are in various stages of obtaining regulatory clearances and are in varying stages of process completion. These blocks are distributed across nine states including Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha. Additional Secretary for Coal, Rupinder Brar directed the allottees to take necessary steps to operationalize the coal blocks that are in advanced stages of operationalization.

The Ministry said that the strategic review is a key step for addressing hurdles in coal blocks operationalization to meet India’s growing energy needs. It highlighted that these mines will help maximize domestic resources and reduce dependence on coal imports.