Overview
- Home Minister Amit Shah ordered adoption and enforcement of a 'Zero Coal Leakage Plan' during a high-level meeting on Sunday, July 5, 2026, directing immediate action on illegal coal mining and unauthorised transport in Dhanbad and nearby areas.
- The government has legally empowered designated CISF and Coal India officials under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 to enter premises, conduct searches, seize illegally mined coal, confiscate tools and vehicles, and file cases in court.
- Shah instructed the Central Industrial Security Force to place the coal sector on its priority deployment list and to form Quick Response Teams to establish multi-layered security in vulnerable locations for rapid enforcement.
- The plan mandates greater use of technology and tax data, ordering high-resolution cameras at Integrated Command and Control Centres to identify hotspots and persons and directing GST authorities to verify e-way bills for all coal consignments to block illicit supply chains.
- Officials said the push builds on reviews from October and December 2025 and the Coal Sector Coordination Committee, with regular ministry reviews planned to track implementation and to protect legitimate miners, local jobs and coal supply stability.