The Coal India ltd (CIl) has sought return of its two coal blocks in Odisha. The company has requested the Centre to allot its coal block in the Ib Valley in Jharsuguda district and the other at Talcher in Angul district since it has made substantial investment in these two blocks, a senior CIl official told.
It may be mentioned that the CIl had floated joint ventures with two private companies to undertake mining projects in the two blocks. The Ib Valley block was owned by 70 per cent by CIl subsidiary Mahanadi Coalfields limited (MCl), while the rest of the stake was held by Aditya Birla Group’s flagship Hindalco Industries limited (HIl).
The CIl had lost the two coal blocks following the order by the Supreme Court in September last in which it had quashed allocation of 214 blocks.