New Delhi: The Ministry of Coal on Thursday held a stakeholder consultation in New Delhi to deliberate on the next phase of reforms aimed at enhancing domestic coal production, reducing import dependency to zero, and scaling up coal gasification initiatives.The meeting, chaired by Union Minister of Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy, was attended by Minister of State for Coal and Mines Satish Chandra Dubey, Coal Secretary Vikram Dev Dutt, Additional Secretary and Nominated Authority Rupinder Brar, CMDs of coal and lignite PSUs, and representatives from the private sector.“The Government responded decisively with the enactment of the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015 and a transparent auction mechanism, which laid the foundation for reforms that followed,” said Reddy. He highlighted the Government’s resolve to further increase domestic production, eliminate coal imports, and expand clean coal technologies including gasification.He urged stakeholders to contribute ideas to strengthen transparency and efficiency in the sector, adding that reforms align with the larger national objectives of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat.Minister of State Satish Chandra Dubey underlined the coal sector’s critical role in powering national growth and stressed that all decisions must serve the national interest. He commended the Ministry for fostering a collaborative approach to sectoral reforms.Coal Secretary Vikram Dev Dutt said the Ministry is working closely with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to streamline regulatory processes. He added that the Single Window Clearance System has been enhanced with new features and that pending state-level issues have been flagged for presentation to NITI Aayog.He also said, “The purpose of this consultation is to identify areas that require further intervention.” On coal gasification, he stated the need for further refinement in technologies to ensure scalability and economic viability.Rupinder Brar said the Ministry values constructive suggestions and encouraged stakeholders to actively contribute ideas for the coal sector’s future roadmap.
The session saw stakeholders share suggestions related to simplifying clearances, incentivising coal gasification, improving logistics infrastructure, and enhancing ease of doing business. The Ministry said it would consider these inputs while framing future policy measures.
