Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah and Minister for Coal and Mines Shri G. Kishan Reddy conducted a high-level review meeting in New Delhi regarding the worsening situation of illegal coal mining and coal theft in Dhanbad and nearby areas. The meeting was attended by the Union Home Secretary, Union Coal Secretary, and senior officials from the Ministry of Coal, CISF, Coal India Limited, and BCCL.
Officials from the Ministry of Coal informed that several concrete steps had been taken since the previous review held in the first week of October 2025. Notably, officials of CISF and Coal India Limited have been authorized to take action under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957. This authorization 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 tools, equipment, and vehicles used in unauthorized activities.
Home Minister Shah appreciated the steps taken so far but emphasized that much more needs to be done to curb the menace of illegal mining. He directed the adoption of a "Zero Coal Leakage Plan" to ensure a comprehensive and time-bound response to illegal mining and unauthorized transportation of coal. The Ministry of Home Affairs was directed to include the coal sector in the priority list for CISF deployment to enable immediate personnel deployment in vulnerable areas.
Additional directives included the formation of CISF Quick Response Teams and establishment of multi-layered security arrangements in vulnerable areas for prompt action against illegal miners. The Home Minister stressed the need for more effective technology use, specifically directing that high-resolution cameras installed at Integrated Command and Control Centres be utilized to identify areas and persons involved in illegal mining activities.
The Ministry of Coal was instructed to regularly review action taken, and a mechanism involving GST authorities was considered necessary to verify e-way bills for all coal being transported, ensuring consumers use only legally mined coal and deterring illegal transportation. The government reaffirmed its commitment to protecting public resources, maintaining law and order, and safeguarding the interests of legitimate coal mining operations.