Govt asks coal block holders to start production in auctioned mines

The Centre on Thursday said that it has asked the coal block allottees to take necessary steps to put to production mines that were auctioned recently.

The coal ministry on Wednesday reviewed the status of coal mines that were auctioned and are in different stages of process completion.

"The 71 coal blocks are in various stages of obtaining regulatory clearances. These blocks are distributed across nine states Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and West Bengal," the Coal Ministry said in a statement.

The meeting was chaired by Coal Additional Secretary Rupinder Brar.

The comprehensive review focused on highlighting the government's commitment to ramp up domestic coal production.

"This strategic review underscores the Ministry's proactive approach to addressing hurdles in coal blocks operationalisation in order to meet India's growing energy needs," the statement said.

By focusing on these mines, the government aims to maximise