Centre to offer 20 blocks for captive mining

Kolkata, Jun 18 (UNI) The Centre would offer 20 blocks for captive mining, according to Coal Ministry's advisor (projects) P R Mandal.

The government had received more than 700 applications for the coal blocks, he said.

Mandal said a meeting had been convened on June 23 to discuss the modalities for distributing the blocks.

He said in case of consortium of companies a joint venture with a mining company has to be formed.

The percentage of equity would be in proportion to assessed coal requirement, he said.

In all 97 blocks had so far been allotted to private and public sector companies.

Out of this eight had come into production.

Coal production from captive blocks was 10 million tonne in 2005-06.

Projected demand for coal would be of 1.6 billion tonne by 2020-2025.

Production of coal at present is 400 million tonne per year.

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