Govt seeks status report from coal block allocatees by Jan 15

The government today sought status report on development of captive coal blocks from allocatee companies for the October-December 2010 period, ahead of its decision on the fate of blocks lying idle with firms.

In a letter to all captive coal block allocatees/joint venture companies, that include Tata Steel, ArcelorMittal and NTPC, the Coal Ministry asked them to furnish status of the blocks for October-December 2010 period.

"You are being a captive coal block allocatee, are requested to send the detailed information for the quarter ended December 2010 in respect of allocated coal/lignite block and associated end use project to this office by January 15, 2011," the Coal Ministry said in the letter.

The government is likely to take final decision this month on the fate of captive coal blocks lying idle with 82 companies, who were earlier asked to explain why they could not develop the blocks within the stipulated time.

Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal last month had said that Ministry had received replies from companies and is compiling them before taking a final decision in January.

Since October 2010, the government had issued notices to these firms, part of an exercise to weed out non-serious players from the field.

While issuing warnings to withdraw their coal blocks, the government had asked the firms including Navin Jindal-led Jindal Steel and Power, Vedanta Group firm Sterlite Industries, Sajjan Jindal-led JSW Steel and GMR Energy among others to explain their positions.

Last year, the government had de-allocated 11 coal blocks after a similar exercise.

The Coal Ministry had also taken a review meeting in July with the concerned companies, who had been allocated a total of 207 coal blocks for captive use under various power, cement and steel projects.