Acting quickly to meet the directives of a recent Supreme Court verdict, the Ministry of Coal has asked the contractors of 214 coal blocks to submit the details of their permanent employees and the ownership status of the mining areas.
In a letter to the companies that were allocated these coal blocks, the ministry asked for a response with the information it has sought by October 7. A copy of the letter has also been sent to the Coal Controller’s Organisation, director-general of mine safety, and coal mines provident fund commissioner.
The apex court in its recent order said all coal blocks allocated since 1993 should be cancelled and those functioning should come to the government by March 2015. The Coal Ministry has since initiated a process to take over these mines, as well as working out a mechanism for the fresh allocation of coal blocks, which has to be done after March 31 to ensure a continuous supply of fuel.
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