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With development of coal blocks stuck largely due to procedural delays at the state level, the ministry of coal (MoC) has urged the coal bearing states to put in place a system for periodic monitoring of the allocated blocks to speed up their development.
“It is considered desirable to introduce a system of monitoring of the development of the coal blocks by a monitoring committee headed by the chief secretary of coal bearing states. Such a committee may include representatives of mining, forest, revenue, geology and environment departments as well as representative of MoC. This committee may monitor development of coal block as well as production and utilisation of the coal in the concerned end-use plant,” coal secretary S K Srivastava wrote to chief secretaries of eight coal bearing states including Odisha.
Srivastava suggested that the committee may review the progress of development of coal blocks located in the state periodically along with the progress of setting up of the linked end-use plants and make recommendations, as deemed necessary and appropriate to MoC.
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The emphasis on forming monitoring panels has been prompted by huge delay in developing the coal mines, leading to cancellation of scores of alloted blocks.
In its reviews, the the inter-ministerial group (IMG) has noticed that the allocatees are facing constraints mostly due to grant of mining lease, land acquisition row and R&R (rehabilitation & resettlement) issues, environment management plan (EMP) clearance and forest clearance. The IMG is mandated to oversee progress of allocated coal blocks and associated end-use projects and recommend action, including deallocation if required.
Out of 218 coal blocks allocated by MoC to eligible public and private companies under the Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Act-1973, 47 were de-allocated for their unsatisfactory development. Later, two coal blocks were re-allocated to eligible companies under this Act and de-allocation letters in respect of five blocks were withdrawn.
The coal ministry had allocated 32 coal blocks in Odisha. Of these, five blocks — Mandakini-B, Utkal-D, New Patrapara, Naini and Baitarani west were deallocated by the ministry as per the recommendation of the IMG.
