NEW DELHI, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- India's coal ministry is proposing that companies awarded mining rights use a percentage of their profits to support reforestation.

The ministry's proposal is a bid to end a stalemate between the government and mining companies over potential new projects in "no go" zones, The Times of India reported Monday.

According to Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal, his ministry was ready to support such an initiative providing it included a requirement that mining companies reforest an area 2.5 to 3 times the area used for coal mining.

Jaiswal said, "We will give this undertaking and we will ensure that adequate forest cover is created and there is least damage to the environment."

He added that 0.54 percent of India's territory was coal-based and out of this only 0.16 percent had forest cover before concluding: "We should do a cost benefit analysis. If we can get around the problem by paying a small price we should do it."