Government is likely to deallocate 8-9 coal blocks as the companies to which the mines were given did not develop them within the stipulated time-frame.
The development comes in the wake of government reviewing the progress of 61 coal blocks allocated to firms like Tata Steel, Hindalco Industries and Jindal Steel & Power Ltd. The companies were earlier issued notices for delays in mine development.
"Today, the Inter-Ministerial Group reviewed the progress of around 30 coal blocks. During the meeting, the IMG recommended deallocating 8-9 coal blocks," a source told PTI.
However, the minutes of the meeting are yet to be finalised, the source added.
He also refused to divulge the names of the companies whose mines would be deallocated.
The government had earlier decided to deallocate all the captive coal blocks which have not obtained environment and in-principle forest clearances. It had issued show-cause notice to allocatees of 61 such mines.
This followed the Supreme Court posing some tough queries on allocation process for coal blocks and questioning the Centre over the functioning of the screening committee that made allotment recommendations.
"The following coal blocks will be deallocated... Coal blocks where environmental clearance and forest clearance stage-I (in-principle) have not been obtained," the Coal Ministry had earlier said in a letter to allocatees of 61 blocks.
