Amit Shah and Reddy reviewed situation of illegal coal mining and coal theft

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah and Minister for Coal and MinesG. Kishan Reddy reviewed situation of illegal coal mining and coal theft in a high-level meeting in New Delhi. The meeting was attended by the Union Home Secretary, the Union Coal Secretary, senior officials from the Ministry of Coal, CISF, Coal India Limited and BCCL.

During the meeting, the Home Minister expressed concern over the worsening situation of illegal coal mining and theft in Dhanbad and nearby areas. Officials from the Ministry of Coal informed the Home Minister that several concrete steps had been taken since the review held in the first week of October 2025.

It was also informed that officials of CISF and Coal India Limited had been authorised to take action under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957. This authorisation legally enables them to file cases in court, enter premises where illegal coal is suspected to be stored, conduct search and seizure operations, and seize illegally extracted minerals along with the tools, equipment, and vehicles used in such unauthorised activities.

It was also informed that Union Home Secretary had chaired a high-level meeting in December 2025 wherein several important decisions were taken including direction to constitute a Coal Sector Coordination Committee which has since been constituted.

Shri Shah appreciated the steps taken so far by the Ministry of Coal and CISF. However, he emphasised that much more needs to be done to curb the menace of illegal mining. Home Minister issued several important directions including adoption of “Zero Coal Leakage Plan” to ensure a comprehensive and time-bound response to illegal mining and the unauthorised transportation of coal. He noted that although powers had been entrusted to CISF and Coal India Limited officials under the MMDR Act, these powers must be exercised rigorously and in a coordinated manner, in line with the approved Standard Operating Procedure.(UPDATED ON 5TH JULY 2026)