Coal blocks issue: Govt to appoint consultant soon

Coal Ministry is likely to appoint a consultant in a month for fixing the methodology to determine the reserve price of 54 coal blocks to be auctioned, a ministry official said on Wednesday. "We are likely to appoint a consultant within a month to come out with a methodology of fixing the reserve price of blocks," a top coal ministry official said. The official said the ministry will put 54 blocks on auction in the first tranche, once the methodology is fixed. "Of the 54 coal blocks to be auctioned, 18 would be for the power sector, two for the steel sector, 12 for commercial mining and rest for sponge iron and cement sector," he said.