Govt drops 1 coal mine from list of blocks put under auction

The government has dropped one coal block from the list of 24 mines, that have been put under the hammer in the first tranche, due to "technical reasons".
"It has been decided ... To withdraw Namchik Namphuk coal mine from the list of 24 schedule-II coal mines to be auctioned, on technical considerations," the Coal Ministry said today.
The government on December 27 last year invited bids for 24 mines. After dropping Namchik Namphuk mine in Arunachal Pradesh from the list, 23 mines will be available in the first auction now.
The coal block also falls in the Schedule-II coal mines. Schedule II coal mines are 42 producing blocks out of 204 cancelled by the Supreme Court in September last year.

The Union Cabinet had earlier approved re-promulgation of the coal ordinance and necessary guidelines for mine allocations.
The government on December 25 last year kick-started the auction process for cancelled coal mines with the launch of a portal for electronic bidding.
E-auction of coal mines for qualified bidders will be held from February 14-22.
The entire mine allocation process for Schedule II coal mines will be completed by March 23 with the signing of Coal Mine Development and Production Agreement, the government had said earlier.