Lok Sabha Question No. 1269 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-08
Subject: Review of Penalty Imposed for Use of Government Land
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Kunduru Raghuveer

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1269 TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.12.2025

## Review of Penalty Imposed for Use of Government Land

## 1269.  SHRI KUNDURU RAGHUVEER:

Will  the  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that 330.1826 hectares of land used by Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) for the RG Coal Mine was originally declared as Government land in 1978 but was subsequently identified as forest land in 2013;
- (b) whether  the  Government  of  Telangana,  vide  letter  dated  27.05.2024,  recommended waiver of the penalty imposed in Stage-l Forest Clearance and SCCL has also requested Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  (MoEF&CC)  on  30.11.2024  for reduction of the penalty;
- (c) whether  SCCL  has  already  deposited  34.31  crore  as  Net  Present  Value  (NPV)  on 16.04.2025 and complied with other conditions; and
- (d)     whether the Government proposes to review or waive the five times penal NPV imposed as  part  of  Stage-I  conditions,  in  view  of  the  land's  prior  classification  as  Government land?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a) to (d) The 'Land' is a subject matter of the State Government. The forest areas and the legal boundaries thereof are determined and maintained by the concerned State Government. That, being the repository of the land records, State Government has the primary responsibility to determine status of any parcel of land, giving due regards to gazette notifications, provisions under State and Central Acts and concerned judgements and directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court.

As per information received from Telangana Forest Department, the land measuring 330.33 ha (330.1826 ha) was handed over by the Revenue Department as Government land along with total land of 448.90 Ha, in Upparlakesaram and other villages for various mining activities to the M/s SCCL since 1973.

The  Ministry  vide  letter  No.8-16/2021-FC  dated  21.11.2023  has  accorded Stage-l  /  Inprinciple approval for regularization of 330.33 ha (330.1826 Ha as per DGPS survey) of forest land in  Upparlakesaram  Forest  Block  in  Manthani  Range  of  Peddapalli  Division  for  Mining

Operations and Other Activities  of SCCL in Peddapalli District subject to certain conditions including the payment of penal NPV for violation.

The Government of Telangana requested for  waiver of  the penalty  imposed  in Stage-l  /  Inprinciple approval.  The  requestfor  waiver  was  examined  by  the  Advisory  Committeein  its meeting dated 27.08.2024. Based upon the recommendation of the Advisory Committee, the Ministry decided to reject the request of the State Government and the State was accordingly informed vide letter dated 30.09.2024.

The  State  Forest  Departmenthas  informed  that  the  SCCL  has  generated  a  Challan  in  the Ministry's  portal  on  16.04.2025,  for  payment  of  an  amount  of  Rs.34,31,29,794/-into  the CAMPA  account  towards  compensatory  levies  and  paid  on  07.05.2025.  Out  of  the  total amount,  the  amount  of  Rs.31,63,83,467/-  is  towards  NPV  and  remaining  is  towards  Safety Zone management. However, the complete compliance of the conditions of Stage-1 approval, including the payment of compensatory and penal levies  has not been submitted by the State Government.

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