law: The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015
  8. Nominated authority to issue vesting order or allotment order.-
  (1) The nominated authority shall notify the prior allottees of Schedule I coal mines to enable them to furnish information required for notifying the particulars of Schedule I coal mines to be auctioned in accordance with such rules as may be prescribed.
  (2) The information required to be furnished under sub-section (1) shall be furnished within a period of fifteen days from the date of such notice.
  (3) A successful bidder in an auction conducted on a competitive basis in accordance with such rules as may be prescribed, shall be entitled to the vesting of Schedule I coal mine for which it bid, pursuant to a vesting order drawn up in accordance with such rules.
  (4) The vesting order shall transfer and vest upon the successful bidder, the following, namely:-
  (a) all the rights, title and interest of the prior allottee, in Schedule I coal mine concerned with the relevant auction;
  (b) entitlement to a 1[prospecting licence, mining lease or prospecting licence-cum-mining lease, as the case may be] to be granted by the State Government;
  (c) any statutory licence, permit, permission, approval or consent required to undertake coal mining operations in Schedule I coal mines if already issued to the prior allottee;
  (d) rights appurtenant to the approved mining plan of the prior allottee;
  (e) any right, entitlement or interest not specifically covered under clauses (a) to (d).
  (5) The nominated authority shall, in consultation with the Central Government, determine the floor price or reserve price in accordance with such rules as may be prescribed.
  (6) The successful bidder shall, prior to the issuance and execution of a vesting order, furnish a performance bank guarantee for an amount as notified in relation to Schedule I coal mine auctioned to such bidder within such time, form and manner as may be prescribed.
  (7) After the issuance of a vesting order under this section and its filing with the Central Government and with the appropriate authority designated by the respective State Governments, the successful bidder shall be entitled to take possession of the Schedule I coal mine without let or hindrance.
  (8) Upon the execution of the vesting order, the successful bidder of the Schedule I coal mine shall be granted 2[prospecting licence, mining lease or prospecting licence-cum-mining lease] as applicable, by the concerned State Government in accordance with the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (67 of 1957).
  (9) A Government company or corporation or a joint venture company formed by such company or corporation or between the Central Government or the State Government, as the case may be, or any other company incorporated in India, allotted a Schedule I coal mine shall be granted 2[prospecting licence, mining lease or prospecting licence-cum-mining lease] as applicable, by the concerned State Government in accordance with the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (67 of 1957).
  (10) In relation to Schedule II coal mines, the successful bidder which was a prior allottee, shall continue coal mining operations after the appointed date in terms of the approved mining plan, till the mining lease in terms of sub-section (8) is granted, upon the grant of a vesting order and to that extent, the successful bidder shall be deemed to have been granted a mining lease till the execution of the mining lease in terms of the said sub-section.
  (11) In relation to Schedule II coal mines, the Government company or corporation which was a prior allottee can continue coal mining operations after the appointed date in terms of the approved mining plan, till the mining lease in terms of sub-section (9) is granted, upon execution of the allotment order and to that extent, the allottee shall be deemed to have been granted a mining lease till the execution of the mining lease in terms of the said sub-section.
  (12) The provisions of sub-sections (1) and (2) and sub-sections (4) to (7) (both inclusive) of this section as applicable to a vesting order, shall mutatis mutandis be also applicable to an allotment order.
  1[(13) The vesting order or allotment order may be terminated by the nominated authority in such manner as may be prescribed.
  (14) Upon termination of vesting order or allotment order, the nominated authority may auction the coal mine under section 4 or allot the coal mine under section 5 as may be determined by the Central Government.
  (15) The successful bidder or allottee of the coal mine whose vesting order or allotment order has been terminated shall be deemed to be the prior allottee for the purposes of immediate next auction or allotment of the said coal mine.]
  1. Subs. by Act 2 of 2020, s. 12, for "mining lease" (w.e.f. 10-1-2020).
  2. Subs. by s. 12, ibid., for "a prospecting licence or a mining lease" (w.e.f. 10-1-2020).