The United Progressive Alliance government said in its 'Report to the People' released by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi on the fourth anniversary of UPA-II that 17 coal blocks were put on offer for government companies and another six explored mines were identified for allotment to private firms through competitive bidding route, reports said.
The report further said that rules for auction of competitive bidding of coal mines were notified in December last year.
Initiating the process of allocation of coal mines, the government had last year invited proposals from the public sector undertakings (PSUs) for allotting 17 blocks to them, mostly for captive power plants.
The development came in the wake of the government's repeated announcements to make policy for mines allotment transparent, following CAG terming potential losses of Rs.1.86 lakh crore to the exchequer on account of blocks allotment to 57 private firms without auction.
The blocks on offer are: Jilga-Barpali, Baisi, Banai, Bhalmunda, Kente and Kerwa in Chhattisgarh, Gowa, Pachwara South and Kalyanpur-Badalpara in Jharkhand, Mahajanwadi in Maharashtra, Kundanali-Laburi, Sarapal-Nuapara, Tentuloi, Chandrabila and Brahamani in Odisha, Gandbahera-Uhhenia block in Madhya Pradesh and Deocha-Pachami-Dewanganj-Harinsingha in West Bengal.
These blocks on offer have estimated reserves of 8.45 billion tonnes.
The Coal Ministry earlier identified 54 coal blocks for various sectors, including 16 for power, 12 for steel among others.
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