Team News Riveting
Forty-six companies had expressed interest to mine coal from the 23 blocks reserved for the commercial mining of black-gold.
A total number of 82 bids from 46 companies have been received off-line and physically in the office of the Nominated Authority for 23 coal mines/blocks, a central government spokesperson said.
Of it, 20 coal mines and blocks have received two or more bids.
The Ministry of Coal had launched the auction process for 38 coal mines on June 18, 2020, for commercial mining under 11th Tranche of Auction under CM (SP) Act, 2015 and 1st Tranche of Auction under MMDR Act, 1957. Last date for Bid submission was 29.09.2020.
This was the maiden bid invited from the private players to commercially mine and trade coal. Officials said that besides Adani Mining, Essel Mining and Hindalco, mostly new entities from the MSME sectors and also non-coal industries, had submitted the bid.
Earlier, the ministry had selected 41 blocks and mines for auction. But it revised the list and curtailed it to 38.
The five coal mines in Chhattisgarh were removed from the list of mines for commercial mining while three other coal mines were included, bringing the total number of mines set to be auctioned to 38 from 41 planned initially.
The Chhattisgarh government had written to the Centre seeking the exclusion of the Morga South, Fatehpur East, Madanpur (North), Morga-II and Sayang coal mines from the auction, stating that these mines are part of densely forested and ecologically sensitive regions of Chhattisgarh.
The revised list of mines set to be auctioned now includes the Dolesara, Jarekela and Jharpalam-Tangarghat mines in the Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh.
Earlier, the Coal Ministry had announced the removal of the Bander coal mine in Maharashtra from the list of 41 mines as the area had been declared an ecologically sensitive zone as part of the Tadoba-Andhari tiger reserves by the Environment Ministry.
