Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed serious concern over the worsening situation of illegal coal mining and coal theft during a high-level meeting held in New Delhi, where he reviewed the matter alongside Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy, signalling a renewed push by the Centre to curb the menace plaguing coal-rich regions of the country.
During the meeting, the Home Minister flagged the deteriorating situation in Dhanbad and its surrounding areas, a region long associated with challenges related to unauthorised coal extraction and pilferage. Officials from the Ministry of Coal informed Shah that several concrete measures had already been implemented since the last review was conducted in the first week of October the previous year, including authorising officials of the Central Industrial Security Force and Coal India Limited to take action under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.
While appreciating the steps taken so far by the Ministry of Coal and the CISF, Shah made it clear that considerably more needs to be done to bring the situation under control. He went on to issue a series of important directions aimed at strengthening enforcement, chief among them the adoption of a Zero Coal Leakage Plan designed to ensure a comprehensive, time-bound response to illegal mining and unauthorised transportation of coal across affected regions.
The Home Minister also directed officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs to place the coal sector on the priority list for CISF deployment, enabling personnel to be stationed swiftly in vulnerable and mining-sensitive areas. In a move aimed at leveraging technology for enforcement, Shah instructed that high-resolution cameras installed at Integrated Command and Control Centres be actively used to identify locations and individuals involved in illegal mining operations. He further instructed the Ministry of Coal to review the action taken on these directions on a regular basis, ensuring accountability at every level of implementation.
Reiterating the government’s stance, the Home Minister said that the administration remains committed to taking all necessary measures to protect public resources, maintain law and order, and safeguard the interests of legitimate coal mining operations, many of which have suffered due to the parallel illegal economy built around coal theft.
The meeting reflects the Centre’s continuing focus on tightening enforcement in the coal sector, an area that has periodically drawn attention for both its economic significance and the persistent challenges of illegal extraction that undercut legitimate revenue and safety standards.
