Mining watchdog

Independent regulator for coal and other minerals is overdue

The government, over the past fortnight, found a receptive audience for the coal blocks that it had decided to make available to the private sector. As part of the economic recovery packages announced by the Union government, the availability had been designed under the new simplified procedure. Of the 38 coal blocks put on the block, 19 have been auctioned. Under the new rules, a wide variety of private players were able to express an interest, given that those with no experience were allowed to commercially sell coal, beyond setting up captive mines as an input into a specific plant