CCEA may modify earlier directions on 61 blocks tomorrow

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in a meeting tomorrow is likely to modify its directions on 61 coal blocks, which have been issued notices for not starting production.
The 61 blocks include those alloted to Tata Steel, JSPL and Hindalco.
The CCEA in its last meeting on January 13 had directed the Coal Ministry to "propose the criteria for dealing with the identified 61 cases of coal blocks allocated to private companies in pursuance of the recommendations of the screening committee for vetting by the Attorney General of India."
It has also asked the Ministry to "issue notices to all concerned including the state governments, the Ministry of Environment and Forests and the project proponents to submit their views within three weeks" and "based on the response from them the Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) will make its recommendations and the competent authority will take a final decision."

The CCEA in tomorrow's meet is likely to take up the issue of modifications of its directions regarding allocation of 61 mines to private companies, sources said.
The details of modifications could not be obtained.

Meanwhile, the inter-ministerial group (IMG) on coal blocks will meet on February 7-8 to decide the fate of these 61 mines .
The IMG under the Chairmanship of Additional Secretary, Coal, will consider replies along with documents furnished by coal block allocatees in response to the notice issued.
The cases of allocatees which are required to obtain forest clearance (stage II) will be taken up subsequently.

In the two-day meeting, IMG will consider replies of 29 coal blocks of companies like Tata Steel, JSW Steel and Bhushan Power and Steel on February 7.
On February 8, the replies of the remaining 32 coal blocks alloted to firms like Monnet Ispat and Energy and Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) will be considered.
The government had earlier decided to deallocate all the captive coal blocks which have not obtained environment and in-principle forest clearances and had issued show-cause notice to allocatees of 61 such mines.
The development followed the Supreme Court's posing some tough queries on allocation process for coal blocks and questioning the Centre over the functioning of the screening committee that made allotment recommendations.

Coal blocks, which are unexplored or partially explored at the time of allocation and where prospecting licence (PL) has not been obtained, will also be cancelled, it had said.
The allocatees have been given time till February 5 to obtain the requisite clearances and produce proofs in support of approvals.