Govt to launch next round of commercial coal mine auctions

New Delhi, Oct 28 (IANS) The Ministry of Coal has announced it is launching the 14th round of commercial coal mine auctions on Wednesday, which will offer a fresh set of fully explored and partially explored coal blocks for bidding from experienced miners, new entrants and technology-driven enterprises.

For the first time, the Ministry is introducing provisions for Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) within the auction framework. UCG represents a strategic initiative to harness India’s deep-seated coal reserves—resources that are otherwise unmineable through conventional methods.

This innovative step is expected to reduce dependence on imported natural gas and crude oil while unlocking new avenues for investment, technological advancement, and employment generation across related sectors, according to an official statement.

In furtherance of the 'Digital India' vision, the Ministry of Coal will also launch two transformative digital platforms -- the CLAMP and Koyla Shakti Portals -- during the event.

The Coal Land Acquisition, Management, and Payment (CLAMP) Portal is a unified digital platform developed to streamline and digitize processes related to land acquisition, compensation, and rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) in the coal sector. Serving as a centralised repository of land records, it facilitates real-time data integration and monitoring across coal PSUs.

By digitising the entire workflow from uploading land details to compensation payments the portal enhances transparency, accountability, and inter-agency coordination, while minimising procedural delays and eliminating data redundancy, the statement said.

The Koyla Shakti Dashboard is a pioneering digital platform designed to revolutionise the coal sector through enhanced transparency, efficiency, and real-time coordination. Integrating the entire coal value chain from mine to market on a unified interface, it enables seamless collaboration among coal companies, railways, ports, and end users.

As a comprehensive decision-support system, Koyla Shakti will facilitate data-driven governance, optimise logistics, and strengthen supply chain management. This transformative step will serve as the digital backbone of India’s coal sector, aligning with the principles of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, the statement explained.

The launch of the 14th round of commercial coal mine auctions marks another milestone in advancing transparency, competition, and self-reliance in India’s coal sector.

The commercial coal mine auction process launched in 2020 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently witnessed strong participation from both established and new industry players. It has played a pivotal role in accelerating domestic coal production and ensuring a reliable supply to meet the nation’s growing energy needs.

The upcoming round is offering coal mines under the most liberal terms to promote ease of doing business, attract diverse investments, and encourage wider industry participation. The commercial auction framework has transformed the coal sector by introducing transparency, fostering competition, and increasing coal availability for domestic industries, thereby reducing import dependence and supporting the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, the official statement added.

--IANS

sps/na