Coal India arm SECL's 12 mining projects running behind schedule

Coal India arm SECL's 12 coal mining projects are running behind schedule due to reasons like delays in green clearances and possession of land.

These projects have been facing delays even as the government is focussing on boosting domestic coal production to reduce imports.

South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL) is a Mini Ratna public sector enterprise.

Of the said projects, three mines cost Rs 500 crore and above, five Rs 150 crore and above but less than Rs 500 crore, two Rs 100 crore and above but less than Rs 150 crore, one Rs 50 crore and above but less than Rs 100 crore and one Rs 20 crore and above but less than Rs 50 crore, according to the company's report.

Some of these projects are Amadand open cast mine, Amgaon open cast project, and Vijay West underground mine, it said.

However, 18 projects are on schedule.

"A total of 30 ongoing projects (18 projects on schedule and 12 projects facing delays) in SECL are under different stages of implementation," it said.

Projects costing Rs 500 crore or more are being monitored by the coal ministry through monthly project review meetings. Projects costing Rs 150 crore and above are being monitored through an online computerised monitoring system of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).

In SECL, 73 major coal projects have been approved for a total ultimate capacity of 302.75 million tonnes per annum with sanctioned capital of Rs 44,571 crore. A total of 30 projects out of the 73 are ongoing, while 38 projects are completed and five underground blocks are existing mines.

South Eastern Coalfields Limited produced 167.487 million tonnes of coal in 2024-25. Coal reserves of the public sector enterprise are spread over Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.