IMG for de-allocation of 2 more coal mines

Continuing scrutiny of coal blocks which failed to meet development timelines, the Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) on Thursday recommended de-allocation of two more mines, raising the number to 13.

“The IMG recommended de-allocation of two coal blocks - Bhaskarpara, allotted to Grasim Industries and Electrotherm and Dahegaon Markardhokra IV, given jointly to IST Steel & Power, Gujarat Ambuja Cement and Lafarge India,” an official source confirmed.
Gaurav Gupta, son of former Corporate Affairs Minister Prem Chand Gupta, is a director in IST Steel and Power which owns the majority 53 per cent stake in the Dahegaon Markardhokra block.

Dahegaon-Makardhokra IV block was given to IST Steel and Power, along with cement firms Gujarat Ambuja and Lafarge India, in June 2009. The block has a total of 48.84 million tonnes (MT) of extractable reserves. The other block Bhaskarpara was allotted to Electrotherm (India) Ltd and Grasim Industries jointly for a sponge iron project with an extractable reserve of 18 MT