New Delhi: Out of 176 companies that queued up for 21 producing coal mines, 134 have been found technically qualified to make their financial bid.
The information was disclosed by Coal Secretary Anil Swarup on Thursday.
Some of the major companies whose bids have been found technically sound are - Adani group, Jindal Steel and Power Ltd, Balco, Essar Power MP Ltd, GMR Chhattisgarh Energy Ltd, GVK Power, JSW Energy, Reliance Cement Company Ltd, Ambuja Cement, Hindustan Zinc, Sesa Sterlite.
Out of the total 134 bids that qualified, 12 are for Gare Palma IV/7 mine in Chhattisgarh. Among them Balco, Hindalco, JSPL, Jaiprakash Associates Ltd, Monnet Ispat & Energy Ltd, Rungta Mines Ltd, Ultratech Cement are the names of some of the interested parties.
Amelia (North) block and Bicharpur mine, both in Madhya Pradesh, have attracted 10 bidders each.
Two mines, Gotitoria East and Gotitoria West, are still not put on auction of the first lot due to litigation issues.
The Coal secretary clarified that the coal ministry would go ahead with the auction as per schedule, though there have been some changes due to court cases.
The ministry, he said, had put these two blocks in the unregulated sector (steel, cement, captive power) but the court directed that they be considered for regulated sector (power).
Since this will take a lot of time hence the two mines have been put on hold.
Swarup also told that instead of 36 coal mines the government has decided to, now, allot 45 coal blocks to the PSUs. This exercise will also get completed before March 31.
