Govt allots 38 coal mines to central, state PSUs

The government today allotted 38 mines to central and state public sector units including power major NTPC, DVC and steel giant SAIL.
The move comes on the heels of the auction of 33 coal blocks in two tranches to private companies with the government garnering over Rs 2 lakh crore, surpassing CAG's earlier estimates of losses of Rs 1.86 lakh crore on allotment without auction.
"Government has alloted 38 coal mines to central and state PSUs," Coal Secretary Anil Swarup told PTI.
As per the original plan, the government had to allot 43 mines but it came out with the list of only 38 mines as there were no applications for some coal blocks, officials said.

All the blocks allotted are for the power sector, barring one Sitanala mine given to SAIL.
As per the government list, out of the 38 blocks, a maximum of 8 blocks -- Barjora, Barjora (North), Gangaramchak & Gangaramchak Bhadulia, Tara East & Tara West, Pachwara North and Kasta East have fallen in the bag of West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd.

Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd has been given six blocks - Baranj I, II, III & IV and Manora Deep and Kiloni.
National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) bagged five mines -- Chhatti Bariatu, Chatti Bariatu (South), Kerandari, Talaipalli amd Dulanga.

Damodar Valley Corporation has been allotted Khagra Joydev block.
Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam was allotted three blocks - Parsa East, Kanta Basan and Parsa, while Chattisgarh State Power Generation Company has been given three mines - Gare Palma Sector III, Gidhmuri and Patoria blocks.
Odisha Coal and Power got two blocks - Manoharpur and Manoharpur Dipside blocks.
Most of these 38 blocks have gone to the earlier allocatees. The Supreme Court had in September cancelled the allocations of 204 blocks in all, terming the process as "fatally flawed", leading the current round of auctions and allocations.