By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR: In the Present tranche of Coal Block Auctions, 278 Tender documents have been purchased by the prospective bidders in respect of 38 Coal Mines. The Nominated Authority will receive the bids till 2 PM on September 29 and bid opening will be taken up at 10 am on September 30.The auction process for coal mines for commercial mining was launched on June 18, 2020. Following revisions have been made by the Coal Ministry in the list of coal mines offered in the process of opening up of coal sector and introduction of coal mining:
Addition of Dolesara, Jarekela and Jharpalam-Tangarghat Coal Mines to the 1st Tranche of Auction under the MMDR Act, 1957. Withdrawal of Morga South Coal Mine from the 1st Tranche of Auction under the MMDR Act, 1957. Withdrawal of Fatehpur East,Madanpur (North), Morga-II, and SayangCoal Mines from the 11th Tranche of Auction under the CM(SP) Act, 2015. Therefore, 38 coal mines are offered for auction for commercial mining under 11th Tranche of Auction under CM(SP) Act, 2015 and 1st Tranche of Auction under MMDR Act, 1957.
Ministry of Coal launched the auction process for 38 coal mines under 11th Tranche of Auction under CM(SP) Act, 2015 and 1st Tranche of Auction under MMDR Act, 1957.The updated list of mines and the tender documents for these mines may be accessed through the following link: https://www.mstcecommerce.com/auctionhome/coalblock/index.jsp. Timelines for the tender process have also been provided on the website of MSTC Limited.
The 9 mines blocks including Chendipada I, Chendipada II, Machhakata, Mahanadi, Radhikapur (East), Radhikapur (West), Brahmanbil & Kardabahal, Kuraloi (A) North, and Phuljhari (East & West) were put for auction in Odisha. Most of these Blocks belongs Angul-Talcher coal Belt, close to Satkosia and Similipal Tiger Reserves.
The Naveen Patnaik led Government in Odisha, was expecting to get near about Rs 10,648 crore from 9 Coal Blocks of the total 38 put for auction for commercial coal mining. Of the 9 blocks. fierce bidding for Odisha’s Chendipada (40 MTPA) and Macchakatta (30 MTPA) blocks is expected along with Chhattisgarh’s Gare Pelma IV/1 (6 MTPA) coal mine, sources said.
The present auction of 38 coal blocks will destroy lakhs of acres of forest and agricultural land in Odisha, Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Maharastra. In Angul and Jharsuguda districts 33,000 acres of forest and agricultural land will be diverted and the mining activities will pollute and create water scarcity in river Brahmani which has been already vulnerable to industrial and mining activities. Private players like Rungta Mines Limited, Jindal Steel and Power Ltd, JSW Steel-Energy, Essel Mining and Industries Ltd, Hindalco, Tatas, Sesa Goa, Vedanta Industries Ltd, Adani Group, Thriveni Earth Movers Pvt Ltd and global players like Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, PesBody, Glencore and Vale are among those eyeing on Odisha’s Coal blocks.
