New Delhi, 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.

Source: Economic Times December 26, 2025 20:01 UTC