# Coal block operationalisation timelines cut by 11-14 months 2026-08-07T10:57:04+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Coal Secretary Vikram Dev Dutt said policy reforms have cut the operationalisation timeline for fully explored coal blocks by 11 months, from 51 to 40 months, and for partially explored blocks by 14 months, from 66 to 52 months. Speaking at a Consultative Committee meeting on Wednesday, Dutt said captive and commercial mines contributed 20% of India's coal production last financial year. Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy said 14 rounds of commercial coal auctions are complete, with the 15th under way. Meanwhile, the CIL board declared an interim dividend of Rs 5.50 per share for FY27. Committee members urged balancing commercial mining growth with environmental and community concerns. ## Coverage - thehindubusinessline.com Tags: CIL dividend, coal, coal secretary, commercial mining, operationalisation, policy reforms Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/coal-block-operationalisation-timelines-cut-by-11-14-months/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/coal-block-operationalisation-timelines-cut-by-11-14-months/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.