Ahead of the crucial hearing to decide the fate of the 218 illegal coal blocks, the Centre in an affidavit submitted to Supreme Court on Monday said that it had no intention of saving 46 coal blocks, from among them, from cancellation and left it to the court to adopt any course of action for all.
listing the set of 40 blocks, which are operational and another set of six coal blocks which are on the verge of getting operational, the affidavit of the Coal Ministry clarified that the submission by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi should not be seen as the Centre trying to protect any coal block allottees. “The aforesaid was only by way of information and the Centre was not insisting on any particular course of action.”
The set of six blocks clubbed by the Centre was estimated to produce about 50 million tons of coal in the current year, the affidavit said. These six had received Mine Opening Permission under Rule 9 of the Colliery Control Rules 2004 which is the final step towards opening of a mine. Among the lot of 40, two were clearly out of danger for being allocated to ultra megapower projects, which the SC had not declared illegal.
However, six allocations among the remaining 38 were facing CBI probe. These were the allocations made in favour of JayaswalNeco Industries (GFare Palma IV/4), Prakash Industries (Chotia), BlA Industries (Gotitoria) and Virangana Iron and Steel (Marki Mangli II and III).
The court pointed out other concerns emanating from the August 25 decision of the Court declaring all allocations since 1993 to be illegal. It said number of beneficiary companies had acquired title of the land in respect of coal blocks which ought to be “re-conveyed” to the Centre upon payment of the purchase price of the land. It further asked the court to address future course of action with regard to bank guarantees furnished by the beneficiary allottees declared illegal.