BHUBANESWAR: Seven bids have been received for five coal blocks of Odisha in the seventh round of auction under which 103 coal and lignite mines are for sale. Only 35 bidders including five public sector companies have shown interest in the ongoing round of auction for 18 coal mines, said a statement of the Ministry of Coal.
The coal blocks of Odisha which have got responses from bidders are Badibahal, Kundanali Lubri, Machhakata (revised), Sakhigopal B Kakurhi and Meenakshi West. The first four blocks have received a single bid while Meenakshi West has got three bids. The five coal blocks are partially explored, sources said.
The auction process of 103 coal mines was launched by the Ministry of Coal on March 29, 2023. The last date for submission of technical bids was June 27, 2023. As part of the auction process, technical bids comprising online and offline bid documents were opened on June 28, 2023.
The bids will be evaluated by a multi-disciplinary technical evaluation committee and qualified bidders will be shortlisted for participation in the electronic auction, to be conducted on MSTC portal shortly.