Inter-ministerial panel may allot coal blocks to public firms on Friday

New Delhi: An inter-ministerial committee is likely to meet on Friday to finalise the list of public sector firms that will be allotted 17 coal blocks.

“The inter-ministerial committee (IMC) is likely to meet tomorrow and may finalise the list of the PSUs, based on the comments of the state governments, to which the coal blocks have to be allocated,” a government official said.

The committee, under the chairmanship of coal secretary SK Srivastava, consists of ministries, including power, law and justice, department of economic affairs and DIPP.

Put together, the coal blocks on offer have estimated reserves of 8.45 billion tonnes.

The coal ministry has received over 300 applications, including 235 from the power sector and 38 from mining firms, for the allocation of coal blocks to PSUs.

NTPC, Neyveli Lignite Corporation and MOIL are among the companies that have applied for the coal blocks. In December, the ministry had invited proposals from the PSUs for allotment of mines, mostly for captive power plants.

The ministry has initiated the process of allocation under the amended provisions of the Mines and Mineral Development and Regulation Act.

The blocks on offer include Jilga-Barpali, Baisi, Banai, Bhalmunda, Kente and Kerwa in Chhattisgarh; Gowa, Pachwara South and Kalyanpur-Badalpara in Jharkhand; Mahajanwadi in Maharashtra; and Kundanali-Laburi, Sarapal-Nuapara, Tentuloi, Chandrabila and Brahamani in Odisha.

PTI