NEW DELHI:The government on Tuesday allotted 38 mines to central and state public sector units including power major NTPC, DVC and SAIL, according to Anil Swarup, Coal Secretary. Among these entities, West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd scored the highest number at 8 mines, followed by Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd and National Thermal Power Corporation, which bagged 6 and 5 blocks respectively. Though the Ministry of Coal planned for 43 mines, due to lack of applications for some mines, only 38 blocks have been allotted.
It may be noted that the Ministry, which auctioned 33 coal blocks in two tranches to private companies, garnered over Rs 2 lakh crore including royalties over the next 30 years. This surpassed CAG’s estimates of losses pegged at Rs 1.86 lakh crore for allotting coal blocks without bidding.
With the Coal Bill passed last week, the Ministry also indicated that it was likely to put another 15-20 mines on the block next month.
Meanwhile, most of these 38 blocks have gone to the earlier allocatees. In September, the Supreme Court cancelled the allocations of 204 blocks, terming the process as “fatally flawed,” leading the current round of auctions and allocations.
According to Swarup, allotment of all 204 blocks was likely to be completed by March, 2016. All the blocks allotted are for the power sector, barring Sitanala mine given to SAIL.
While West Bengal Power bagged mines namely - Barjora, Barjora (North), Gangaramchak and Gangaramchak Bhadulia, Tara East & Tara West, Pachwara North and Kasta East, Karnataka Power was given Baranj I, II, III & IV and Manora Deep and Kiloni. Likewise, NPTC bagged Chhatti Bariatu, Chatti Bariatu (South), Kerandari, Talaipalli and Dulanga, followed by Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam that got Parsa East, Kanta Basan and Parsa, while Chattisgarh State Power secured Gare Palma Sector III, Gidhmuri and Patoria blocks. Odisha Coal and Power got two blocks - Manoharpur and Manoharpur Dipside blocks, Damodar Valley Corporation was given one block - Khagra Joydev.