 "Ex-owners of cancelled coal mines put up tough fight in e-auction")
In the fray are major names from the power, steel and cement sectors. Adani Power, Sesa Sterlite, Essar Power, GMR, GVK, Lanco, Rattan India and JSW Energy are the major players bidding for coal blocks with end-use in power production.
For the coal blocks kept for unregulated sectors, there was immense interest from steel companies such as Birla Corporation, Hindalco, Bharat Aluminium, Hindustan Zinc, Sarda Energy and BS Ispat. Bidders from the cement sector are ACC, UltraTech Cement, Shree Cement, Reliance Cement and Jaypee Cement with participation in every block kept for unregulated sectors.
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In all the blocks that it lost, Naveen Jindal-promoted JSPL has submitted more than one bid. For its most attractive and also controversial blocks - Gare Palma IV-1 & 7 - JSPL has submitted four bids. Jindal is one of the accused in the coal scam. Birla group's Hindalco, which is also embroiled in the coal scam, has also bid for the coal blocks with end-use in steel and cement sectors.
Among the new entrants is Anil Ambani-promoted Reliance Geothermal, which has bid for Amelia (North) situated in Madhya Pradesh and Gare Palma 2&3 in Chhattisgarh. These blocks have minable capacity of 100 million tonnes with end-use in power generation.
The comparatively minor companies, which are also part of the race, are Topworth Group, Sanvijay Rolling & Engineering, Sunflag Iron & Steel and OCL India.
The names of bidders who submitted technical bids for the upcoming e-auction were disclosed on Tuesday. These bids will be evaluated by a multi-disciplinary 'technical evaluation committee', which will shortlist the bidders for participation in the electronic auction to be conducted on the MSTC portal from February 14, 2015.
The government plans to have a two-pronged strategy for e-auction of cancelled coal blocks. Where end-use is generation of power, there will be reverse auction. For unregulated sectors, there will be forward-bidding model.
The government promulgated a special ordinance for re-allocating coal blocks, which were cancelled by the Supreme Court in August this year, citing them illegal.
| Block’s name | End-use | Prior owner | Bidders |
| Amelia North | Power | Madhya Pradesh State Mining Corporation | Essar Power, GMR: Chhattisgarh Energy, RattanIndia Power, Reliance Geothermal, Jindal Power, BALCO, KSK Mahanadi Power, Adani Power, GVK Power, Jaypee, JSW Energy |
| Gare Palma IV/2&3 | Power | Jindal Power Ltd. | GMR: Chattisgarh Energy, Jindal Power (3 bids), Sesa Sterlite, Reliance Geothermal, Jindal India Thermal, DB Power, Adani Power, KSK Mahanadi Power, JSW Energy |
| Sarisatolli | Power | RPG Industries/ CESC Ltd. | Sheeshan Commercial, GMR: Chattisgarh Energy, CESC, WBPDCL, Haldia Energy, Adani Energy |
| Talabira-I | Power | Hindalco Industries | Sesa Sterlite, Essar Power, RKM PowerGen, OPG Power Generation, GMR: Chattisgarh Energy, Adani Power |
| Tokisud North | Power | GVK Power (Govindwal Sahib) Ltd. | WBPDC, Essar Power, GMR, Dhariwal, Jindal Power, DB Power, BALCO, India Power Corporation, Lanco Amarkantak, Adani Power, GVK Power (Govindwal Sahib), Jaypee |
| Trans Damodar | Unregulated | West Bengal Mineral | CESC Limited, JSW Energy, Lalitpur Power Genration, GMR: Chattisgarh Energy, Essar Power, Water Hyacinth Commosale, WBPDCL, Durgapur Project |
| Parbatpur (Central) | Unregulated | Electrosteel Castings | JSW Steel |
| Marki Mangli -III | Unregulated | Veerangana Steel | Topworth Urja, Sunvijay Engineering, JSW Cement, BS Ispat, Sunflag Iron and Steel |
| Sial Ghoghri | Unregulated | Prism Cement Limited | BS Ispat, Hindustan Zinc, CCL Iron, Reliance Cement |
| Mandla North | Unregulated | Jaipraskash Associates | Ultratech, Jaypee, HINDALCO, Ultratech, BALCO, Hindustan Zinc, Shree Cements |
| Gotitoria (East –n-West) | Unregulated | BLA Industries | Trimula, ACC, OCL Iron and Steel, BS Ispat, Godawari Power, BLA Power, Reliance Cemeents, Prism Cement |
| Marki Mangli-I | Unregulated | B.S. Ispat | Topworth Urja, Sanvijay Enginnering, BS Ispat, Sunflag Iron & Steel |
| Ardhagram | Unregulated | Sova Ispat Limited | Monnet Ispat, S S Natural, OCL Iron, Shyam Mining, Ankit Metal, Eastern Range Coal, Visa Steel |
| Belgaon | Unregulated | Sunflag Iron Steel Ltd | Topworth Urja, Sunvijay Engineering, Sunflag Iron Steel, Indrajit Power, BALCO, Reliance Cement |
| Bicharpur | Unregulated | Madhya Pradesh State | Jaypee, Hindustan Zinc, HINDALCO (2 bids), ACC, Ultratech, Sarda Energy, Birla Corporation, OCL Iron and Steel, Rungta Mines, OCL India, Monnet Ispat |
| Chotia | Unregulated | Prakash Industries Ltd. | HINDALCO(2 bids), Prakash Industries, Ultratech, Sesa Sterlite, Sarda Power, Rungta Mines, BALCO (2 bids), Trimula, Godawari Power |
| Gare-Palma- | Unregulated | Jindal Steel & Power | HINDALCO (2 bids), JSPL (4 bids), Sesa Sterlite, Sarda Energy, Rungta Mines, BALCO (2 bids) |
| IV/1 | Ltd | ||
| Gare-Palma- | Unregulated | Jayaswal Neco Ltd. | HINDALCO(2 bids), ACC, SKS Ispat and Power, Sesa Sterlite, Sarda Energy, Runta Mines, BALCO(2 bids), Godawari, Jayaswal Neco, Indian Metal and Ferro Alloys |
| IV/4 | |||
| Gare-Palma- | Unregulated | Monet Ispat and Energy | Ambuja Cements, HINDALCO (2 bids), Sesa Sterlite, Sarda Energy, Rungta, BALCO (2 bids), Monnet Ispat |
| IV/5 | Ltd | ||
| Gare-Palma- | Unregulated | Raipur Alloys & Steel | HINDALCO (2 bids), JSPL (4 bids), Ultratech, Sesa Sterlite, Sarda Energy, OCL Iron and Steel, Rungta, BALCO (2 bids), Monnet Ispat, Jaypee, Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys |
| IV/7 | Ltd. | ||
| Kathautia | Unregulated | Usha Martin Ltd. | Hindalco (2 bids), Ultratech, Sesa Sterlite, OCL Iron and Steel, Rungta, S S Natural, Usha Martin, Monnet Ispat |
| Compiled by Shreya Jai and Deepak Patel | |||