New Delhi: The Union government on Monday told the Supreme Court that it is prepared for the eventuality of the court deciding to cancel all coal block allocations, which the apex court had last week termed illegal.
Centre, however, asked the apex court to decide quickly on what happens next.
Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi proposed in court that about 40 of the 218 allocations declared illegal should not be taken back from the companies that operate them as they were either producing coal or were close to producing coal.
The attorney general also requested for 6 more similar cases where the end-use plants were going to be functional shortly.
The attorney general reiterated that the NDA government is prepared to accept the SC's possible decision to order cancellation of all 218 coal block allocations since 1993.
The AG said those who will be allowed to operate illegally allotted coal blocks but have not signed power purchase agreements, would have to refund to government the profit they made from subsidized coal at the rate of Rs 295 per tonne.
The AG says they will be asked to pay Rs 295 for every tonne of coal they used from the date of mining to the government.
