With pressure mounting on the State Government to favour the promoters with coal blocks, it has issued a check-list for execution of prospecting licence (Pl) and mining lease (Ml) and asked applicants to comply with them expeditiously.
Government officials admit that there is tremendous pressure on them to expedite the Pl and Ml proposals on coal blocks. Emphasising on end-use plant (EUP), the check-list prepared by the Government seeks information on the capacity of the power plants if the end-use is power and the capacity of the EUP is non-power. It has also asked for information on the present status of the EUPs set up in and outside Odisha.
Sources in the Government feel that most of the companies will not be able to provide satisfactory answer so as far as the EUPs are concerned as many of them have not added a brick to the proposed EUPs. The check-list also seeks information on whether the land schedule had been prepared on the basis of the coal block plan supplied by the CMPDI and whether it had been certified by the Government.
The Government has also sought information about the developers of the coal block and any transfer of controlling stake by the company, which has been allocated the block, to other entities.
Sources said the Department of Steel and Mines is likely to recommend a few coal blocks after processing the applications in accordance with the check-list. The Government has added a clause of its own, as allowed by the Union Mines Ministry, in the check-list, according to which the Government would expedite the applications of developers who have plants in the State for value addition and help generate revenue and employment in the State.
The Government’s decision would benefit Jindal Steel & Power ltd (Utkal B1 and Ramchandi coal blocks), Monnet Ispat & Energy (Utkal B2), IMFA (Utkal B2), Nalco (Utkal E), Odisha Power Generation Corporation (Manoharpur and dip side of Manoharpur) and Strategic Energy Technology Systems Private ltd, a joint venture between a consortium of Tata companies and Sasol of South Africa (north of Arkhapal and Srirampur coal block).