By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR: Union PNG-Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has alleged that those are involved in Coal Gate Scam, are now questioning PM Narendra Modi’s Commercial Coal Mining Auction Policy. Union PNG-Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s statement came following reports of oppositions from Coal bearing Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand ruled by Congress and JMM. Minister Pradhan was addressing a virtual rally in Jharkhand along with Tribal Affairs minister Arjun Munda, BJP state president Dipak Prakash and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi. “Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand not want welfare of poor while the maximum benefits of minerals will go to States,” Pradhan said.
Coalgate, as it was popularly known snowballed into a huge political scandal which pulled top leaders and bureaucrats from the previous UPA regime into the probe. A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India showed inefficient and possibly illegal allocation of coal blocks between 2004 and 2009. It estimated loss to the exchequer to the tune of Rs 10.7 lakh crore but it later toned this amount down to Rs 1.86 lakh crore in the final report.
“The decision by the Union Coal Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office to go ahead with commercial mining and coal block auctions without acknowledging our concerns around the potential socio-economic and environmental costs and the impact on our forests and tribal population is blatant disregard of co-operative federalism,” Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said on Twitter.
Chhattisgarh Environment Minister Mohammad Akbar has written to the central government, requesting that coal blocks in the region of Hasdeo and Mand rivers and a proposed elephant reserve area in the state not be auctioned for environmental reasons. According to experts, there are four coal blocks — Mogra South, Mogra II, Sayang and Madanpur North — in the area out of the 41 blocks set to be auctioned for commercial mining in line with an announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
According to the Coal Ministry, India has proven coal reserves of 148.8 billion tonnes, indicated reserves of 139.2 billion tonnes and inferred reserves of 31.1 billion tonnes. Domestic production of coal was 728.7 million tonnes and total coal imports were 235.24 million tonnes in FY19.
Out of the total 41, 9 Coal Mines Blocks put for Auction in Odisha. The mines are Chendipada I, Chendipada II, Machhakata, Mahanadi, Radhikapur (East), Radhikapur (West), Brahmanbil & Kardabahal, Kuraloi (A) North, and Phuljhari (East & West).
Chendipada-II (Category III) status explored under Talcher Coalfield of Chendipada in Angul was earlier allocate to Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidut Utpadan Limited,Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation Limited, Maharashtra State Power Generation Corporation Ltd.
Mahanadi (Category III) status explored under Talcher Coalfield of Chendipada in Angul was earlier allocate to Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited, Maharashtra State Electricity Board.
Radhikapur (East, Category III) (Including Utkal F) Coal Block)(Category III) status explored under Talcher Coalfield of Chendipada in Angul was earlier allocate to TATA Sponge Iron Limited.
Radhikapur (West) (Category III) status explored under Talcher Coalfield of Chendipada in Angul was earlier allocate to M/s Rungta Muines Ltd, M/s OCL, India Ltd, M/s Ocean Ispat Pvt.
Chhendipada-I Block (Category III) status explored under Talcher Coalfield of Chendipada in Angul was earlier allocate to Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidut Utpadan Limited,Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation Limited, Maharashtra State Power Generation Corporation Ltd.
Machhakata Block (Category III) status explored under Talcher Coalfield of Chendipada in Angul was earlier allocate to Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited,Maharashtra State Electricity Board.
In all 41 mines with total geological coal reserve of 17 billion tonne is on offer under the first phase of commercial coal mine auctions. These include both large and small mines with peak rated capacities (PRC) ranging from 0.5 to 40 million tonne per annum (mtpa) of coal. The cumulative PRC of all mines is 225 mtpa.
