The Coal Ministry will notify revised royalty rates on coal and lignite production early next year.
"The government will notify revised royalty rates on coal and lignite by January 31, 2012," a source in the Coal Ministry said, quoting an official document.
A new study group on the proposed revision of the royalty rates on coal and lignite was constituted in February last year under the chairmanship of the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Coal.
Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal had earlier said in the Lok Sabha that the government was considering a proposal to hike royalty rates on coal and lignite production.
The major coal-producing states of Jharkhand, Orissa, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh had requested the fixation of royalty rates on an ad-valorem basis.
"The proposal is under consideration. The study group has already collected the views/comments of all the concerned stakeholders," the minister had said.
"The said study group is presently analysing various suggestions received in this regard. The new royalty rates would be notified by the government after examining the recommendations of the said study group," he had added.
