The Union coal ministry on Friday said it has amended rules to streamline approvals for opening coal and lignite mines, removing procedural redundancies to accelerate operations while retaining regulatory oversight.

Under the earlier Rule 9 of the Colliery Control Rules, 2004, coal and lignite mine owners were required to obtain prior approval from the Coal Controller’s Organisation (CCO) to open a mine, as well as individual seams or sections of seams. Permission from the CCO was also mandatory for restarting operations if a mine remained closed for 180 days or more.

In a bid to cut delays, boost coal production and simplify the clearance process, the government has now scrapped the requirement of prior opening permission from the CCO by amending Rule 9, the ministry said in a statement.

Following the amendment, the authority to approve the opening of mines or seams will rest with the board of directors of the concerned coal company.

The ministry said the reform is aimed at streamlining procedures while ensuring that accountability for compliance is fixed at the highest decision-making level within the company. The change is expected to reduce the time taken to operationalise a mine by up to two months.

“As a safeguard, it has been provided that the board of the coal company concerned can approve mine or seam opening only after all requisite approvals from the Central or state governments and other statutory bodies have been obtained,” the statement said.

By shortening approval timelines and placing responsibility squarely on company boards, the amendment is expected to improve operational efficiency, accelerate coal production and reinforce confidence in the coal regulatory framework.

Meanwhile, the board of state-owned miner Coal India on Friday appointed chairman-cum-managing director B. Sairam as the company’s chief executive officer, streamlining top-level leadership.