Overview
- Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy outlined the programme at a Monday press briefing and set targets of Rs 4 lakh crore in investment, about Rs 3 lakh crore in foreign-exchange savings and roughly 100,000 jobs.
- The government has allocated 100 million tonnes of coal for gasification and set a national goal to gasify 100 million tonnes by 2030, prioritising surface gasification with underground coal gasification for deeper reserves.
- New incentives worth about Rs 46,000 crore and measures such as longer coal linkages and faster clearances are designed to attract private and foreign investors, and the ministry is holding investor roadshows in major cities.
- Environmental and local measures include plans to close and reclaim 147 abandoned mines by 2028, form oversight committees across roughly 600 districts, and route a share of mining proceeds through District Mineral Foundations for community projects.
- Key questions remain about the timeline for scaling underground gasification, schedules for commercial projects and a small reporting discrepancy over enhanced Singareni employee insurance cover that officials still need to clarify.