The Government has recently notified the Colliery Control (Amendment) Rules, 2025, simplifying the approval process for opening coal and lignite mines and strengthening ease of doing business in the coal sector. The amendment revises provisions under the Colliery Control Rules, 2004, to remove procedural redundancies while retaining regulatory oversight.

Under the earlier framework, mine owners were required to obtain prior permission from the Coal Controller Organisation for opening a coal or lignite mine, as well as for opening individual seams or sections of a seam. Approval was also mandatory if a mine remained non-operational for 180 days or more.

The amended rules dispense with this requirement by revising Rule 9, transferring the authority to approve mine, seam or section openings to the board of the concerned coal company. The notification was issued on 23 December 2025 and is expected to reduce mine operationalisation timelines by up to two months.

As safeguards, approvals by company boards can be granted only after obtaining requisite clearances from central and state governments and statutory bodies. Companies are also required to inform the Coal Controller Organisation of mine openings, while entities other than companies will continue to route approvals through the CCO.

The reform places accountability at the highest corporate level while maintaining statutory checks, and is expected to accelerate coal production, improve operational efficiency, and enhance confidence in India’s coal regulatory framework.