**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Coal issued the Colliery Control (Amendment) Rules, 2026, on August 6, 2026, to amend the 2004 regulations regarding the opening and reopening of coal mines. The rules mandate specific prior approval protocols from company boards or statutory authorities and require intimation to the Coal Controller Organisation within 15 days of opening. These regulations also apply to mining operations that resume after a discontinuation of 180 days or more.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Approval Requirements for Opening Mines**
* **Registered Companies:** Owners of companies registered under the Companies Act, 2013, must obtain prior approval from the company’s Board.
* **Statutory Corporations:** Owners of corporations established under Central or State Acts must obtain prior approval from their Governing Authority (Board or committee).
* **Other Owners:** Owners not covered by the Companies Act or statutory corporations are strictly prohibited from opening a mine or seam without prior approval from the Coal Controller Organisation.
**Compliance and Verification**
* **Regulatory Oversight:** Boards and Governing Authorities must ensure all requisite permissions and compliances from Central and State Governments and statutory bodies are obtained before granting approval.
* **Permit Lists:** The Coal Controller Organisation is responsible for maintaining an indicative list of all permissions required from various government levels.
**Reporting and Procedural Rules**
* **Mandatory Notification:** Owners must send an intimation to the Coal Controller Organisation within 15 days of opening a coal mine, seam, or section.
* **Standardized Forms:** The Coal Controller Organisation may prescribe specific forms for the intimation process.
**Recommencement of Operations**
* **Discontinued Operations:** The requirement for prior approval and notification also applies to the commencement of mining in areas where operations were discontinued for 180 days or more.
**Impact Analysis**
**Colliery Owners (Registered Companies and Statutory Corporations)**
**Impact**
They are granted the authority to approve mine openings internally through their Boards or Governing Authorities, provided all legal compliances are met.
**Action Required**
Ensure all Central and State permissions are secured; obtain formal Board/Governing Authority approval; and notify the Coal Controller Organisation within 15 days of opening.
**Other Colliery Owners (Non-Company/Non-Statutory)**
**Impact**
They face stricter oversight as they cannot proceed with opening mines or seams without direct prior approval from the Coal Controller Organisation.
**Action Required**
Submit applications for prior approval to the Coal Controller Organisation before initiating any mining activity.
**Coal Controller Organisation (CCO)**
**Impact**
The CCO transitions into a monitoring and advisory role for registered companies while maintaining direct approval authority over other entities.
**Action Required**
Prescribe the necessary forms for intimation and maintain a comprehensive list of required permissions from Central and State statutory bodies.
Key Entities Referenced
Colliery Control (Amendment) Rules, 2026: The specific regulatory amendment that mandates prior approval for opening or reopening coal mines, seams, or sections.
Colliery Control Rules, 2004: The principal set of rules governing coal mine operations which are being updated by the 2026 amendment.
Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957: The parent legislation that empowers the Central Government to formulate and amend rules for colliery control.
Coal Controller Organisation: The regulatory body responsible for receiving mine opening intimations and maintaining indicative lists of required permissions.
Ministry of Coal: The central government ministry that issued this notification and holds primary authority over coal sector regulations.
रजिस्ट्री स.ं डी.एल.- 33004/99 REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99
सी.जी.-डी.एल.-अ.-07082026-275259
xxxGIDHxxx
CG-DLxx-ExG-I0D7E0x8x2x0 26-275259
असाधारण
EXTRAORDINARY
भाग II—खण् ड 3—उप-खण्ड (i)
PART II—Section 3—Sub-section (i)
प्राजधकार स ेप्रकाजित
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
स.ं 646] नई दिल्ली, बृहस्ट्प जतवार, अगस्ट्त 6, 2026/श्रावण 15, 1948
No. 646] NEW DELHI, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2026/SHRAVAN 15, 1948
कोयला मत्रं ालय
अजधसचू ना
नई दिल्ली, 6 अगस्ट् त, 2026
सा.का.जन. 710(अ).— केंद्रीय सरकार, खान और खननज (निकास और निननयमन) अनिननयम, 1957
(1957 का 67) की िारा 18 की उपिारा (1) और उपिारा (2) द्वारा प्रदत्त शनियों का प्रयोग करत े हुए, कोयला खान
ननयंत्रण ननयम, 2004 का और संशोिन करन े के निए ननम्ननिनखत ननयम बनाती ह,ै अर्ाात:् -
1. सनं िप्त नाम और प्रारंभ (1) इन ननयमों का संजिप् त नाम कोयला खान ननयंत्रण (संशोिन) ननयम, 2026 ह।ै
(2) य ेराजपत्र म ें उनके प्रकाशन की तारीख को प्रवृत्त होंगे।
2. कोयला खान जनयंत्रण ननयम, 2004 म ें ननयम 9 के स्र्ान पर ननम्ननिनखत ननयम रखा जाएगा, अर्ाता ्: -
“9. कोयिा खान, सीम या सीम के भाग को खोिन े के निए पिू ा अनमु ोदन की अपिे ा (1) कोयला खान का कोई भी स्ट् वामी
ननम्ननिनखत के पूवव अनुमोिन के नबना कोयिा खान या सीम या सीम के दकसी भाग को नहीं खोिेगा -
(क) कंपनी का बोर्ा, जहां स्ट् वामी कंपनी अनिननयम, 2013 (2013 का 18) के अधीन रजिस्ट् रीकृत कंपनी ह;ै या
6066 GI/2026 (1)2 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART II—SEC. 3(i)]
(ख) ककसी भी केंद्रीय या राज्य अनिननयम द्वारा या उसके अधीन स्र्ानपत कानूनी ननगमों का शासी प्रानिकरण (बोर्ा या
सनमनत, आकद), जिसका स्ट् वामी ऐसा जनगम ह:ै
परंतु, ऐसा अनुमोदन प्रिान करते समय, बोर्ा या शासी प्रानिकरण या सनमनत, आकद यह सुनननित करेंगे कक केंद्रीय
सरकार, राज्य सरकार और कानूनी ननकायों द्वारा यथाजवजहत सभी अपेनित अनुज्ञाएं प्राप्त कर िी गई ह ैं और अनुपािन
ककया गया ह:ै
परंत ु कोयिा खान या सीम या सीम के दकसी भाग को खोिने के पंद्रह कदनों की अिनि के भीतर कोयिा ननयंत्रक
संगठन को सूचना भेज िी जाएगी:
परंत ु यह भी दक कोयिा ननयंत्रक संगठन इस प्रयोजन के निए एक प्ररूप जवजहत करेगा।
(2) दकसी कोयला खान का स्ट् वामी, जो न तो कंपनी अनिननयम, 2013 (2013 का 18) के अधीन रजिस्ट् रीकृत कंपनी ह ैऔर
न ही ककसी केंद्रीय या राज्य अनिननयम द्वारा या उसके अधीन स्र्ानपत कोई कानूनी ननगम ह,ै कोयिा ननयंत्रक संगठन के
पूिा अनुमोदन के नबना कोयिा खान या सीम या सीम का कोई भाग नहीं खोलेगा।
(3) यथाजस्ट्थजत, उप-ननयम (1) या उपजनयम (2) के उपबंध, ककसी खान या सीम या सीम के ककसी भाग म ें खनन प्रचािन
शुरू करन े के संबंि म ें भी िाग ू होंगे, जहां एक सौ अस्सी दिवस या उससे अनिक की अिनि के निए प्रचािन बंद कर कदया
गया हो।
(4) कोयिा ननयंत्रक संगठन, उप-ननयम (1) और उपजनयम (2) के प्रयोजनों के निए केंद्रीय सरकार, राज्य सरकार और
कानूनी ननकायों स े अपेनित अनुज्ञाओं की एक उपििवक सूची अनुरजित करेगा। "
[फा. सं. एमपीएस-17023/3/2025-एमपीएस]
सनोज कुमार झा, अपर सनचि
टिप्प ण:- मलू ननयम, भारत के राजपत्र, असािारण, भाग II, खंर् 3, उपखंड (i) म ें सखं य ाकं सा.का.जन. 540 (अ),
तारीख 25 अगस्त, 2004 द्वारा प्रकानशत ककए गए थ े और सखं याकं सा.का.जन. 917 (अ), तारीख 23 कदसंबर,
2025 द्वारा अंजतम संिोधन दकया गया था।[भाग II—खण् ड 3(i)] भारत का रािपत्र : असाधारण 3
MINISTRY OF COAL
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 6th August, 2026
G.S.R. 710(E).— In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-sections (1) and (2) of section 18 of the Mines
and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (67 of 1957), the Central Government hereby makes the
following rules further to amend the Colliery Control Rules, 2004, namely:—
1. Short title and commencement.— (1) These rules may be called the Colliery Control (Amendment) Rules, 2026.
(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
2. In the Colliery Control Rules, 2004, for rule 9, the following rule shall be substituted, namely:-
“9. Requirement of prior approval to open a coal mine, seam or section of a seam.— (1) No owner of a
colliery shall open a coal mine or a seam or a section of a seam, without prior approval of -
(a) the Board of the company, where the owner is a company registered under the Companies Act, 2013 (18 of
2013); or
(b) The Governing Authority ( Board or committee, etc.) of statutory corporations established by or under any
Central or State Act, where such corporation is the owner :
Provided that while according such approval, the Board or Governing Authority or committee, etc. shall ensure
that all requisite permissions have been obtained and compliances done, as prescribed by the Central Government, the
State Government and statutory bodies:
Provided further that an intimation shall be sent to the Coal Controller Organisation within a period of fifteen days
of opening the coal mine or the seam or a section of the seam:
Provided also that the Coal Controller Organisation may prescribe a form for this purpose.
(2) No owner of a colliery, which is neither a company registered under the Companies Act, 2013 (18 of 2013) nor a
statutory corporation established by or under any Central or State Act, shall open a coal mine or a seam or a section of
a seam, without prior approval of the Coal Controller Organisation.
(3) The provisions of sub-rules (1) or (2), as the case may be, shall also be applicable as regards commencement of
mining operation in a mine or a seam or a section of a seam where operation has been discontinued for a period of one
hundred and eighty days or more.
(4) The Coal Controller Organisation shall maintain an indicative list of permissions required from the Central
Government, the State Government and statutory bodies for the purposes of sub-rules (1) and (2). "
[F. No. MPS-17023/3/2025-MPS]
SANOJ KUMAR JHA, Addl. Secy.
Note:- The principal rules were published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Seb-section (i), vide
number G.S.R. 540(E), dated the 25th August, 2004 and was last amended vide number G.S.R. 917(E), dated
the 23rd December, 2025.
Uploaded by Dte. of Printing at Government of India Press, Ring Road, Mayapuri, New Delhi-110064
and Published by the Controller of Publications, Delhi-110054.