"During the current financial year, average realisation from e-auction of coal has dipped," Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
The figure for the first quarter of 2016-17 had come down to Rs 1,570 per tonne compared to Rs 2,184 a year ago, Goyal said.
Bid prices are mainly determined by market forces, the minister said, adding that the available quantity of coal and demand of fossil fuel in the economy are the factors in question.
Prior to the Cabinet's approval, the Standing Linkage Committee had been deciding on allocation of long-term and short-term linkages for sectors, including power and steel.