The Union cabinet on Friday approved a proposal to offer a one time, three-month window to central and state-owned enterprises to surrender their idle coal mines without penalty.
The PSUs will be able to surrender the mines without forfeiting bank guarantees, the government said.
“Delays were due to law and order issues, enhancement in the area of forest from what was declared earlier, resistance of landholders against land acquisition,” the government said.
Till December last year, 45 out of 73 coal mines allotted to government entities remained non-operational. The deadline to start mining has lapsed for 19 mines.
