COAL CONTROLLER

COAL CONTROLLER

Office of Coal Controller (earlier Coal Commissioner), established in 1916, is one of the oldest office in Indian Coal sector. Main aim behind setting up this office was to have Government control to adequately meet the coal requirement during First World War. Acute scarcity of coal necessitated promulgation of Colliery Control Order, 1944 for effective control on production, distribution and pricing of coal. Subsequently, it was revised by a more comprehensive order in 1945. Later in 1996, distribution and pricing of coal was deregulated. Therefore, Colliery Control Order, 2000 superseded the previous order. As a result, functions of Coal Controller’s Office remained more or less same except for the work of distribution and allotment of coal.

Functions of Coal Controller’s Organisation are listed as below-

Under Colliery Control Order, 2000 (Now Colliery Control Rule, 2004)–

• To lay down procedure and standard for sampling of coal
• Inspection of collieries so as to ensure the correctness of the class, grade or size of coal.
• To issue directives for the purpose of declaration and maintenance of grades of a seam mined in a colliery.
• To act as the appellate authority in case of dispute between consumers and owner arising out of declaration of grade and size of coal.
• To regulate disposal of stock of coal or the expected output of coal in the colliery.
• Quality surveillance with respect to loading of coal in wagons/ trucks according to laid down procedures regarding grades and sizes.
• To grant opening /reopening permission of coal mine, seam or a section of seam or to subdivide a mine.

Under Coal Mines (Conservation & Development) Act, 1974 and Coal Mines (Conservation and Development) Rules, 1975-

• Assessment and collection of excise duty levied on all raw coal raised and dispatched.
• Providing financial support to the coal operators for-

- Ensuring the conservation of coal resources.

- Undertaking the development of coal mines in a scientific manner.

- Undertaking research in relation to conservation of coal, development of coal mines and utilization of coal.

- Protective works including blanketing, filling up of subsided areas, construction of dams, cutting of trenches, artificial barriers etc.

- infrastructure development in coalfields.

Under Collection of Statistics Act, 1953-

• Coal Controller has been made the statistical authority with respect to coal and lignite statistics. Entrusted the responsibility of carrying out Annual Coal & Lignite survey.
• Submission of monthly coal data to different ministries of central and state Govt., national and international organization.
• Collection of Statistics relating to coal washeries.

Under Coal Bearing Area (Acquisition and Development Act, 1957-

Coal Controller is the competent authority under this act to hear any objection to the Central Government’s Notification relating to acquisition of coal bearing land and to furnish his reports to Central Govt. 

Under the Coking Coal Mines (Nationalisation) act, 1972 and the Non-coking Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Act, 1973

       Coal Controller also functions as the Commissioner of Payment to settle the claim cases of colliery owners of pre-nationalisation period under the above acts.