Auction of coal mines are subject to further orders: SC

The Supreme Court on Friday allowed provisional e-auction of 34 coal blocks, including five in Jharkhand.

It said that the proposed auction on November 9 would be subject to further orders, due to the state government challenging the move.

The top court asked the Centre to inform all bidders about it.

Attorney General K K Venugopal, for his part, assured a bench presided over by Chief Justice S A Bobde that there will be no mining or cutting trees in coal block areas without permission from the court.

"Any action in the matter that may be taken by the defendant (Union government) shall be subject to the orders of this court. The defendant(s) shall take care to inform any recipient of any benefit of any nature that the action is provisional in the sense that it will be subject to the orders that may be passed by this court," the bench said.

The bench posted the matter arising out of a petition filed by Jharkhand government, for further hearing on December 8.

Senior advocates Fali S Nariman and A M Singhvi, appearing for Jharkhand, said that cutting of trees in the area should be prohibited.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for an intervenor NGO ‘Jharkhand Nagrik Prayas', said that the Centre should ensure that there should not be any cutting of trees till then.

Venugopal submitted that they have already said that there will not be any cutting of trees.