The federal cabinet has approved a policy for acquiring land parcels that are mined out or unsuitable for coal mining purposes to increase investment and create job opportunities in the coal sector.
The land-use policy applies to lands acquired under the Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition & Development) Act, 1957 (CBA Act), and allows them to be used for the development of infrastructure for the coal and energy sectors, a government circular said.
Public sector coal companies such as Coal India (CIL) and its subsidiaries will act as owners of these lands acquired under the CBA Act, which will be used for leasing purposes only. The lease will be for a specific period and the entities will be selected through a transparent bid process.
