The Union Cabinet on Tuesday cleared a Bill on coal block auctions to replace an Ordinance that was promulgated to begin e-auction as well as allotment of coal mines that were cancelled by the Supreme Court.
Sources earlier in the day had confirmed that the Ordinance is going to be sent for Cabinet's approval for being replaced with a Bill.The Bill to replace the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Ordinance, 2014 is likely to be brought before the Parliament during the ongoing winter session.
The Supreme Court had in September cancelled allocation of 204 coal blocks, including 42 operational mines and another 32 ready-to-start blocks.Government through the Ordinance started the process of auctioning at least 74 operational or ready-to-operate blocks with the target of allocating them by March, well before the deadline set by Supreme Court for companies operating the mines to wind up operations. To these 74 blocks, it has also added 18 more blocks, thus taking the total number of blocks which will be offered through e-auction or allotment, to 92.