APMDC Suliyari coal upcoming auction 1,00,000 MT for MP MSME on 1st Oct 2024 / 1st Nov 2024 & 2nd Dec 2024 @ SBP INR 2516/- per MT
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New UserGovt mum on coal block auction stand
30 Mar 2015
Though the industries department opposed competitive bidding of coal blocks in 2005, the state government seems shy of sharing the fact in the assembly.
To a question by ruling BJD MLA Debashis Nayak on whether the PMO sought opinion of the industries department between 2005 and 2007 on it and what were the department's views, steel and mines minister Prafulla Mallik, in a written reply on Friday, said, "Information is being collected". Nayak also asked if the Centre ignored the state's advice and what action the state had taken thereafter.
The Centre had sought the states' views on auction of coal blocks, citing lack of 'transparency' in the preferential allocation system. Secretary of the industries department objected to competitive bidding in a letter to the PMO on July 25, 2005.
The letter stated that investors in the mineral sector if not allocated coal blocks would be at serious disadvantage and mineral-bearing states would face loss as they would lose authority to "recommend cases" for allocation of captive coal blocks on the basis of investment. Odisha was ruled by the BJD-BJP coalition government when the letter was written.
Also, chief minister Naveen Patnaik wrote to the PMO on August 17, 2005, recommending allocation of Talabira-II coal block in favour of Hindalco, an Aditya Birla Group company. A special CBI court in Delhi on March 11 observed that Naveen's letter worked as 'a fresh lease of life' for Hindalco when the Union coal ministry and PMO took a decision on the allocation.
Though the court did not hold Naveen legally liable, its observation snowballed into a major controversy with opposition raising an accusing finger at him. Recently, leader of opposition Narasingha Mishra said the government's answer to the assembly shows it is trying to hide facts.
"When it is common knowledge that the state government had taken a stand against the auction route and Naveen recommended coal block for Hindalco, I fail to understand what more information the government has been collecting. It only shows they are trying to hide as much as possible," Narasingha added.