Corrigendum to MPG-2025 (26 May 2025)

F. No.:CPAM-34011/28/2019-CPAM-Part(2)[E-359539] Government of India Ministry of Coal (MPS Section) ***** Room No. 622-A, Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi, Dated: 26th May, 2025 Office Memorandum Subject: Guidelines for preparation of of Mining Plan and Mine Closure Plan for Coal and Lignite Blocks, 2025 - reg.

The undersigned is directed to refer to this Ministry's OM of even number dated 31.01.2025 on the subject cited above and to convey that consequent upon issuance of the Mineral Concession (Amendment) Rules, 2025 [published in the Gazette of India vide G.S.R. 323(E) dated 20.05.2025] (Copy enclosed), all the provisions of the aforesaid Mining Plan guidelines dated 31.01.2025, including provisions contained in Para 2.7 (c) and para 2.9 have become effective and the provisions contained in Para 1.3 (A), 1.3 (B) and 1.9 of the Mining Plan guidelines dated 29.05.2020 shall not be effective henceforth.

Encl.: As above.

(Hitlar Singh) Under Secretary to the Govt. of India Email:

To

1. Chairman, CIL

2. CMD, SCCL

3. CMD, NLCIL

4. Coal Controller, New Delhi

5. O/o Nominated Authority- to circulate to all coal companies except those stated above Copy to

1. Secretary, MoEF & CC

2. Secretary (Mines) -All Coal/Lignite bearing states

3. DG, DGMS

4. All Joint Secretaries, Ministry of Coal

5. Sr. Technical Director, NIC - with request to place on the website of MoC CPAM-34011/28/2019-CPAM-Part(2) I/36126/2025 3289 GI/2025 (1) REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99 xxxGIDHxxx xxxGIDExxx EXTRAORDINARY PART II—Section 3—Sub-section (i) PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY सं. 280] No. 280] NEW DELHI, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2025/VAISAKHA 30, 1947 CG-DL-E-20052025-263240 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART II—SEC. 3(i)]

MINISTRY OF COAL NOTIFICATION New Delhi, the 20th May, 2025 G.S.R. 323(E).⸺In exercise of powers conferred by section 13 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 Mineral Concession Rules, 1960, namely:—

1. (1) These rules may be called the Mineral Concession (Amendment) Rules, 2025.

(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.

2. In the Mineral Concession Rules, 1960 (hereinafter referred to as principal rules), in rule 22-B, in sub-rule (4), for the proviso, the following provisos shall be substituted, namely: – ―Provided that the mining plan may cover an area beyond the block boundary if a no objection certificate is issued by the State Government for such area after considering the certificate issued by the Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited for non-coal bearing area or non-feasibility of extraction of coal from coal bearing area:

Provided further that in case of coal bearing area, the project proponent shall submit an undertaking to the effect that the overburden shall be re-handled within the period mentioned in the mining plan.‖.

3. In the principal rules, for rule 22E, the following rule shall be substituted, namely: --- "22E. Modification of approved mining plan. — (1) In case any modification is made in the approved mining plan, the project proponent shall submit the modified mining plan as per rule 22B.

Provided that the project proponent, with the previous approval of Board of Directors of the Company concerned, may make the minor changes specified in sub-rule (2) and submit to the Coal Controller and the Central Government for information.

(2) The minor changes referred to in the proviso to sub-rule (1), shall consist of following, namely: –

(i) changes in land type within the total leased area;

(ii) changes in location and type of infrastructure such as, mine opening, box cut for opencast working, access egress like shaft and incline for underground working, office premises within the project area and subsequent related changes;

(iii) increase in production up to fifty per cent. of the sanctioned rated capacity of mine plan and the changes required for the production enhancement;

THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART II—SEC. 3(i)]

(iv) change in sequence of extraction of different seam in underground mining without affecting the safety and conservation of minerals provided in the approved mining plan;

(v) depillaring with caving to depillaring with stowing or paste filling without change in mining method;

(vi) change in type of ingress and egress from shaft to incline or incline to shaft;

(vii) the land required for installation of plant for manufacturing sand from over burden;

(viii) changes in the specification or configuration of equipment and changes in the heavy earth moving machinery deployment plan;

(ix) highwall mining, if introduced in opencast mines;

(x) use of land for repurposing including installation of solar plant, pump storage projects, gasification, renewable source, washery etc. subject to the provisions of applicable law;

(xi) change in technology within the method of mining for more mechanisation (shovel dumper to surface miner, semi mechanised mining to continuous coal cutting technologies etc.);

(xii) dumping of washery rejects or fly-ash in mines;

(xiii) change in expenditure pattern to include community development and livelihood projects in the mine closure plan:

Provided that in case of allocated coal mines or coal blocks, prior approval of the nominated authority referred to in sub-section (1) of section 6 of the Coal Mines Special Provisions Act, 2015 (11 of 2015) or the Central Government, as the case may be, shall be required for any modification in the mining plan which result in changes in the terms and conditions or efficiency parameters mentioned in the agreement entered into between such nominated authority or the Central Government, and the project proponent.‖.

4. In the principal rules, in rule 29A, –

(i) in sub-rule (1), –

(a) for the word ―final‖, the words ―final or temporary‖ shall be inserted;

(b) for the words ―Regional Controller‖, the words ―Regional Controller of Mines or the Coal Controller‖ shall be inserted;

(ii) in sub-rule (2), after the words ―Regional Controller of Mines‖, the words ―or the Coal Controller‖ shall be inserted.

[F. No.12012/2/2021-PS1] RUPINDER BRAR, Addl. Secy.

Note:-The principal rules were published in the Gazette of India, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i), vide number G.S.R. 1398, dated the 26th November, 1960 and last amended vide number G.S.R. 684(E), dated the 7th November, 2022.

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. SARVESH KUMAR SRIVASTAVA Digitally signed by SARVESH KUMAR SRIVASTAVA Date: 2025.05.20 22:27:23 +05'30'