India’s Ministry of Coal has proposed rules that would let regulators suspend coal and lignite mines that stray from their approved mining plans, and would require company boards to certify every year that their operations follow the law.
The draft Colliery Control (Amendment) Rules, 2026, were published in the government’s Gazette in early October and are open for public comment, Business Standard reported. They amend the Colliery Control Rules, 2004, and would take effect only once final rules are notified.
Under the proposal, mining outside an approved plan would be barred. When a breach is found, the competent authority would first order the mine owner to fix it within a set period. If the problem persists, the authority could issue a 15-day show-cause notice asking why operations should not be halted. An unsatisfactory reply could lead to suspension of all or part of the mine, with only the work needed to bring it back in line with the plan allowed to continue.
Regulators could also suspend operations temporarily, with written reasons, to protect public safety or the environment or to prevent imminent or irreparable harm. Matters already handled by the Directorate General of Mines Safety or other statutory bodies would stay outside the new powers.
The second major change is an annual declaration. The board of each project proponent company would file a statement with the Coal Controller confirming that every operation at a coal or lignite mine followed the approved plan and applicable laws. Proponents that are not incorporated companies would make the filing through the mine owner.
The draft also spells out the powers and territorial jurisdiction of officers who work under the Coal Controller, from deputy coal controllers to surveyors, and adds definitions of mine closure and mine closure plan. Mine owners who object to a suspension order could seek a review within 30 days, for a fee of 10,000 rupees. Neither Business Standard nor the legal trackers that summarized the draft listed any new monetary fines. Suspension and corrective directions are the main tools.
Comments are due 30 days after Gazette copies were made public. One regulatory tracker lists Nov. 12 as the deadline, though the exact date depends on when copies became available. Feedback goes to the Ministry of Coal in New Delhi.
The ministry has not publicly explained why it is tightening enforcement. The sector it covers is growing fast. Captive and commercial mines produced 210.46 million tonnes of coal in the 2025-26 fiscal year, up 10.22% from the year before, according to government figures reported by All India Radio.
Mine operators, project companies and their boards are the parties most directly affected. No industry reaction had been reported at the time of writing.
