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New UserWBMTDC to handle coal mining in Bengal
27 Mar 2015
West Bengal Mineral Trading and Development Corporation (WB MTDC), the state public sector undertaking for mining, is likely to be the nodal body for the mining of coal blocks allocated to state power utilities Dur- gapur Projects (DPL) and West Bengal Power Development Corp (WBPDCL).
A source close to the development said WBMTDC is likely to be entrusted with the job of selecting an operator as well as supervising the mining activity. DPL bagged the Trans-Damodar coal block, which was auctioned last month. DPL has won the block earmarked for the power sector by beating five other companies in the fray.
These are: CESC Ltd, Essar Power Gujarat, JSW Energy and Lalitpur Power Generation Co. WBPDCL received eight coal blocks on Tuesday from the coal ministry, including two new blocks which were not with them prior to Supreme Court verdict.
The blocks allotted to WBPDCL are Borjora, Borjora (north), Gangaramchak, Gangaramchak Bhadulia, Tara (east and west), Panchwara (north) and Kasta (east). Out of these blocks, Kasta and Borjora (north) were not with the state power utility earlier.
When contacted, WBMTDC chairman Amlan Basu said the mining will be done under the supervision of this state PSU. "We shall select the mining operator through a transparent process in consultation with the power utilities. We have some expertise in this field as a mining company," he added. It is learnt that initially tender will be floated for Trans Damodar followed by others.
WBMTDC was the operator of Trans Damodar. The block was earlier allotted to West Bengal Mineral Trading and Development Corporation through state dispensation route. WBMTDC had extracted 1.08 million tonne through an operator Trans Damodar Coal Mining (P) Ltd. The total land required for the mine is 728 acre as per the bid document. WBMTDC had acquired 295 acres so far. Trans Damodar is an operational open cast mine in the Borjora coal field of Bankura district in West Bengal. It has a geological reserve of 61.7 million tonne and mineable reserve of 48.4 million tonne and is within 10 km from Durgapur.
On the other hand, the combined reserve of the eight coal blocks allocated to WBPDCL will be over 500 million tonne. The maximum reserve is with Borjora (north) and Kasta (East) block while Tata (east & west) is being considered as a matured block with combined reserve of 13 million tonne. He biggest block is Panchwara (north) with 380 million tonne reserve.