The Inter-Ministerial Group, which today reviewed 10 coal blocks of companies including JSPL, Tata Steel and JSW Steel, gave them 8-9 months to obtain stage II forest clearances.
"The IMG (Inter-Ministerial Group) which reviewed 1O coal blocks today gave eight to nine months to the allocatees to obtain stage II forest clearance (FC)," said a source privy to the development.
However, two coal blocks -- Mahan, jointly alloted to Essar Power Ltd and Durgapur II/Sarya, alloted to D B Power Ltd - have obtained stage-II FC, the source added.
The coal blocks reviewed include Rohne coal block in Jharkhand - jointly allocated to JSW Steel and Bhushan Power and Steel Ltd; Jitpur coal block in Jharkhand allocated to JSPL; Brinda and Sasai coal blocks in Jharkhand allocated to Abhijeet Infrastructure Ltd, and Ganeshpur coal block in Jharkhand alloted to Tata Steel and Adhunik Thermal Energy.
The Coal Ministry had earlier asked the allocatees of these blocks to make presentations before the IMG regarding their preparedness for obtaining stage II forest clearance.
It had also recently asked the Environment Ministry to assess the feasibility of grant of forest clearances (stage II) with regard to the 10 coal blocks and send its comments by this week.
IMG has reviewed the status of 61 coal blocks, and recommended deallocation with regard to 28 mines. Three were liable to be deallocated and no action was taken on the remaining 30 blocks.
The 10 blocks reviewed today are part of the 30 mines where no action was taken.
IMG, set up under the chairmanship of Additional Secretary, Coal, to review the progress of development of captive coal blocks alloted to private companies, has members from various ministries, including steel and power.
