134 firms qualify for coal auction bid

As many as 134 companies including Hindalco, Adani Power and Reliance Geothermal Power have been found technically qualified for participate in coming auctioning of coal blocks.

“Out of the 176 applications we received, 134 are found to be technically valid,” Coal Secretary Anil Swarup told reporters here. These firms will bid for 21 coal blocks put up for auction by the  Ministry of Coal.

Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL), Bharat Aluminium Co Ltd (Balco), Essar Power M P Ltd, GMR Chhattisgarh Energy Ltd, GVK Power, JSW Energy, Reliance Cement Company Ltd, Ambuja Cement, Hindustan Zinc, Sesa Sterlite are some of the other major companies whose bids have been found technically qualified. The government had initially planned to auction 23 mines in first lot but has put on hold bidding for two mines due to litigations.

Of the 134 bids which are technically qualified, 12 are for Gare Palma IV/7 coal mine in Chhattisgarh, making it the most sought after mine.

Balco, Hindalco, JSPL, Jaiprakash Associates Ltd, Monnet Ispat & Energy Ltd, Rungta Mines Ltd, Ultratech Cement Ltd are among these 12 bidders.

Amelia (North) block and Bicharpur mines, both in Madhya Pradesh, have 10 bidders each. Despite some court cases, Swarup said the ministry will go ahead with the auction of mines as per schedule.

“Consequent to an interim order of Jabalpur (High Court), the auction of two mines has been put on hold in schedule II (producing mines). These are Gotitoria East and Gotitoria West,” Swarup said.

The ministry, he said, had put both the blocks in the unregulated sector but the Court directed that they be considered for regulated sector.

The auction follows the Supreme Court decision last year to cancel allocation of 204 coal mines.

For Public Sector Undertaking firms, the government has decided to allot 45 coal blocks instead of 36. The exercise for allotment both for private as well as public sector undertaking will be completed by March 31, he said.