RINL to apply afresh for 2 J'khand coal blocks next week

State-run Rashtriya Ispat Nigam (RINL) today said it will apply afresh for two coking coal blocks in Jharkhand next week, which were cancelled by the Coal Ministry early this month.

"We will apply afresh for two coking coal blocks in Jharkhand soon. We hope the government will consider our request soon," RINL's Director (Commercial), T K Chand, told PTI here.

RINL, whose two coking coal blocks in Jharkhand -- Mahal, allocated in 2005, and Tenughat-Jhirki, allocated in 2008, -- were cancelled by the Coal Ministry in the beginning of this month, had earlier requested permission to surrender these blocks in lieu of two alternative blocks in the region.

The Coal Ministry had cancelled the allocation of two coking coal blocks having reserves of about 500-million tonne in Jharkhand to RINL as the steel firm had difficulties in developing the blocks.

The Mahal block has deposits of 258 million tonne of coking coal, while the Tenughat-Jhirki block holds an estimated 215 million tonne of coal.

"As regards allocation of alternative coal block(s), there is no policy or guidelines for allocation of alternative coal block in lieu of surrendered coal block," the Ministry had said.