Coal ministry approves allocation of 39 blocks

Seeking to meet the growing needs of the power sector, the government today approved the allocation of 39 coal blocks for state-run and private power utilities like National Thermal Power Corporation(NTPC), Tata Power, Essar and Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL).

"The coal ministry has approved allocation of the 39 coal blocks for various public and private sector power companies to meet the growing needs of the power sector," a ministry official said.

The ministry had allocated 10 coal blocks having reserves worth 6,075 million tonnes (MT) to central and state government companies, while another 12 blocks having reserves of 800 MT had been allocated to public and private companies under the captive mining dispensation, he said.

"Besides, another 17 blocks having reserves of 190 MT have been allocated to central and state PSUs for commercial mining," the official said.

With the latest allocation, total number of coal blocks allocated to PSUs and private companies have increased to 163.

The ten blocks allocated for power generation included Chetti Bariatu South (353 MT) in Jharkhand for NTPC, the official said.

The Damodar Valley Corporation has been allocated Saharpur Jamarpani block having 600 MT reserves in Jharkhand and two blocks in Manoharpur with 531 MT in Orissa for the Orissa Power Generation Company.

The Naini coal block in Orissa (500 MT) had been allocated to Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation and Pondicherry Industrial Promotion and Development Corporation, the official said.

Moreover, two blocks at Chandipara in Orissa (1,589 MT) had been allocated to Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd, Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation and Maharashtra State Power Generation Company, the official said.

He said the Baitarani West block in Orissa (602 MT) has been allocated to Gujarat Power Corporation Ltd, the Orissa Hydel Power Generating Corporation Ltd and Kerala State Electricity Board while Mandakini B block, also in Orissa, (1,200 MT) has been allocated to Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, Assam Mineral Development Corporation, Meghalaya Mineral Development Corporation and Orissa Mining Corporation Ltd.

The Urma Palanitola coal block in Jharkhand (700 MT) has been allocated to the Jharkhand State Electricity Board and Bihar State Mineral Development Corporation.

"Under the captive mining dispensation, Tata Power and Hindalco has been allocated the Tubed block in Jharkhand which has reserves of 189 MT," the official said.

Essar Power has been given the Chakla block in Jharkhand (83 MT) while JSPL has been allocated the Jitpur block, also in Jharkhand. Besides, Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Company had been allocated 3 blocks in Andhra Pradesh, the official said.

"Besides, the mineral development corporations of Jharkhand, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and the National Mineral Development Corporation have also been allocated coal blocks for commercial mining," he added.