CCEA modifies decision on coal blocks

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today approved modifying its earlier decision to allow state governments to grant mining leases for coal blocks to companies if there is no CBI enquiry against them.
The modification was proposed after the Supreme Court refused to split coal blocks into those where the CBI is conducting probes and those where no cases had been registered.
"What the Supreme Court has decided was conveyed to the Cabinet," a senior minister said while confirming the decision taken at the CCEA meeting.
The development comes in the wake of Attorney General G E Vahanvati briefing the government about the apex court's stand on mine allocation.

States had said they would wait for the apex court's orders in such cases before granting leases, sources had said yesterday.
They added that the Centre in a letter on January 14 directed that they "may take all steps for executing the mining leases, making it clear in the order that this would be subject to final orders to be passed by the Supreme Court and without prejudice to the investigation or registration of cases by the CBI.