Team News Riveting
New Delhi, September 17
Mineral-rich Chhattisgarh state had received Rs 14349.88 crore as revenue from coal mining in the last five years.
“Of the amount, Rs 11234.77 crore was from royalty and Rs 3115.11 crore as premium,” Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi informed the Rajya Sabha while responding to the query sought by member Chhaya Verma.
The Rajya Sabha MP from Chhattisgarh enquired whether the state was getting less coal premium and royalty due to the New Coal Allocation policy that came into being in 2015.
The minister informed that prior to Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act 2015, 7 coal blocks were allocated to PSU and power companies of Chhattisgarh. Under the new allocation policy, only 3 blocks had been allocated in the state.
The coal block allottees of coal mines allocated under Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015 are required to pay royalty and premium as well. The royalty and premium received by the State of Chhattisgarh in last five years is as follows:
Financial Year Premium (in crore) Royalty (in crore)
FY 2015-16 87.73 1867.09
FY 2016-17 768.76 1956.55
FY 2017-18 601.20 2362.89
FY 2018-19 845.48 2713.51
FY 2019-20 811.94 2334.73
Joshi said the ministry was trying to operationalise more and more coal mines as it would ramp up the coal premium and royalty which depends on the coal production. The State Government should also actively support the allocatees to operationalise the coal blocks to generate more revenues, he added.
