A meeting to review the functioning of Coal Controller’s Organization was held under the Chairpersonship of Secretary, Coal Dr. Anil Kumar Jain recently in which senior level officials of the Ministry of Coal and Coal Controller’s Organization were present. The secretary reviewed Ease of doing business and environmental sustainability aspects, and appreciated decentralization of approval process of mining plan, and mine closure plan and gave direction to similar action in respect of pricing of coal having GCV less than 2200 kcal/kg and closure of the suspended coal mines in an environmentally sustainable manner.

In a move to ease the process of approval of mining planthe Ministry of Coal, has re-engineered and simplified Mining Plan preparation and approval process of mining plan and revised the guidelines in May 2020. The modified guideline is oriented towards downsizing the volume of documents required and easier to shift on online mode. The power to approve mining plans was decentralized and was delegated to Coal Controller’s Organization. As part of dispute redressal mechanism, a system of appellate has also been introduced for optimum satisfaction of the Coal block allocates. The block allocates whose mining plan is rejected may appeal to Secretary Coal for reconsideration.

As part of ease of doing business and early operationalization of coal blocks, Single Window Clearance Portal has been launched in January this year.In the absence of a unified platform for grant of clearances/approvals for starting of a coal mine, the project proponents were required to approach different administrative ministries and Government departments separately to apply for the requisite clearances leading to delay in operationalization of coal mines. Coal Controller’s Organization has started processing and communication of approval to the allocate through the portal and the portal has been linked with PARIVESH portal ofMinistry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF& CC).

            Under the present mechanism Coal having Gross Calorific Value (GCV) of more than 2200 kcal/kg is priced. Coal of GCV less than 2200 kcal/kg (i.eG-17 grade coal having in the range of 2200-2500 kcal/kg) is considered as ungraded/reject. The Rule 27 of Solid Waste Management Rule 2016 provides for extraction of energy from the solid waste having calorific value of more than 1500 kcal/kg. In line with the Rule, the Secretary, Ministry of Coal directed that the energy must be extracted in an environmental friendly manner from such low GCV coal also and till the price of Coal for GCV less than 2200 kcal/kg is not fixed, the price of 10% below the G-17 grade coal price should be realized from the consumers.

The Secretary has further directed to evolve Institutional mechanism to monitor the actions by coal companies to close all the suspended mines in an environmentally sustainable manner.

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