Lok Sabha Question No. 3935 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-17
Subject: Coal Mines
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: Hanuman Beniwal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3935 TO BE ANSWERED ON  17.7.2019

## Coal Mines

## 3935. SHRI HANUMAN BENIWAL:

Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government of India has control over coal mines located in the country;
- (b) if so, the details of the locations of coal mines in the country presently;
- (c) the details of category of coals being mined from them;
- (d) whether the Government allows control over coal mines to private companies also;
- (e)  if  so,  the  number  of  such  collieries  which  are  transferred  from  Government  to  private hands; and
- (f) the details of the number of years for which they have been transferred?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS, COAL AND MINES (SHRI PRALHAD JOSHI)

(a)&(b): Under  List-II  of  the  Seventh  Schedule  of  the  Constitution  of  India,  regulation  of mines and mineral development is subject matter of State Government. Further different State Acts  provide  that  the  ownership  of  mines  and  minerals  vest  in  the  State  Governments. However,  Entry  54  of  List-I  of  the  Seventh  Schedule  of  the  Constitution  provides  that regulation of mines and mineral development can be taken over by the Central Government to the extent declared by the Parliament by law to be expedient in public interest. In terms of this provisions, the Parliament has made  the statutes like the Mines  and  Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act, 1957 and the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015. Thus Government of India has partial control over coal mines located in the country to the extent provided in the central statutes.

As  per  information  available  with  the  Coal  Controller's  Organisation,  the  details  of  the locations of coal mines in the country are as follows.

## STATE WISE LIST OF COAL MINES (PUBLIC AND PRIVATE) AS ON 31.03.2018

| State             |   Public |   Private |   Total |
|-------------------|----------|-----------|---------|
| Arunachal Pradesh |        1 |         0 |       1 |
| Assam             |        4 |         0 |       4 |
| Chhattisgarh      |       52 |         3 |      55 |
| Jharkhand         |      111 |         9 |     120 |
| Jammu &Kashmir    |        2 |         0 |       2 |
| Madhya Pradesh    |       58 |         3 |      61 |
| Maharashtra       |       56 |         2 |      58 |
| Odisha            |       25 |         1 |      26 |
| Uttar Pradesh     |        4 |         0 |       4 |
| Telangana         |       49 |         0 |      49 |
| West Bengal       |       71 |         1 |      72 |
| All India         |      433 |        19 |     452 |

(c): Coal  produced  in  India  are  broadly  categorized  as  coking  and  non-coking  coal.  Noncoking coal is classified into various grades based on GCV (Gross Calorific Value) starting from  G1  to  G17  grades  and  coking  coal  is  classified  as  Steel  Grade  (ST)  -  I  &  II  and Washery Grade (W) - I to VI.

(d) (e) & (f): As per the provisions of the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015, and the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulations) Act, 1957, coal mines are allocated to Private Companies by way of auction. Allocation under these Acts gives right to the private companies to obtain coal mining lease from the respective State Governments.

So far, no coal mine has been transferred from the Government to Private hands.

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