Reliance Industries has bagged two blocks offered under the first round of the coal bed methane (CBM) policy. The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today.
Minister of parliamentary affairs Pramod Mahajan said Essar Oil has won one block while the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd-Indian Oil Corporation consortium has won the other two blocks.
Reliance has been awarded the West and the East Sohagpur CBM block while Essar bagged the Ranigang block.The ONGC-IOC consortium has bagged the Bokaro and the North Karanpura blocks.
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In a separate decision, CCEA has also approved the allocation of two CBM blocks -- one in Raniganj (West Bengal) and another in the Jharia coalfield (Jharkhand) -- to the consortium of ONGC and Coal India Ltd on nomination basis for exploration and production of CBM. ONGC and CIL would be required to enter into a contract for each of the two blocks separately.
Mahajan said the CCEA had also approved the modification of technology upgradation fund scheme (TUFS) for the textile industry. Under the modified scheme, the small scale textile and jute industries will be allowed to choose either a 12 per cent upfront credit linked capital subsidy or continue with the existing five per cent interest reimbursement.
The CCEA also accorded mega power project status to the Sipat Super Thermal Power Project (4x660 mw) to be implemented by the National Thermal Power Corporation. The project is to be implemented in two stages and is being set up as a coal pit head based project in Bilaspur district of Chattisgarh.
The revival plan for the National Textile Corporation (Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry) was also approved by the cabinet today. Under the plan, four unviable mills would be closed and six viable mills would be revived. The cabinet also approved setting up the Bharat Shiksha Kosh for sponsoring educational activities to supplement governmental efforts.
The CCEA has also approved the proposal for turning around the Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL). The government has also approved the renaming of the Bhopal airport as Raja Bhoj airport and Port Blair airport as Veer Savarkar airport.