Govt mops up ₹4,973 cr revenue from auctioned coal mines

The government has collected ₹4,972.738 crore in revenue from auctioned coal blocks since financial year 2014-15, Parliament was informed on Monday (November 25). Of the total revenue garnered till October 31, the maximum of ₹1,280.58 crore was mopped up in 2018-19. In 2017-18, the revenue stood at ₹1,115.02 crore while in the preceding fiscal, it was ₹1,018.117 crore.

In 2015-16, the government collected ₹663.774 crore in revenue while in the preceding year, the figure stood at ₹241.294 crore, coal minister Pralhad Joshi said in a reply to the Rajya Sabha.

Also read: Ceaseless coal mining turns future black for Gonds in Chhattisgarh

Under Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015, 31 mines have been allocated through auction so far, the minister said. Of the 31 mines, allocation of nine mines has been terminated for various reasons, Joshi said adding that of the remaining 22 mines, 13 have got opening permission and 11 are producing coal.

The 11 mines have produced 32.34 million tonne of coal from 2015-16 till October 31, 2019, the minister said. While four producing mines are in Chhattisgarh, two each are in Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Maharashtra and one in Jharkhand, the minister said.