Coal Min took initiatives in '06 to inc production

New Delhi, Jan 5 (UNI) Allocation of blocks for captive mining, acceleration of preparation to allocate more blocks, projects to improve the quality of coal and steps by coal public sector undertakings (PSUs) to increase coal production were some of the important intiatives taken by the Ministry of Coal in 2006.

During the year bygone, the guidelines for coal block allocation were amended so as to allow allocation of captive block to independent coal mining companies on the condition that the entire coal or lignite so mined would be transferred to an end user company(ies) for captive consumption.

The government allocated 16 blocks with GR of 3.924 billion tonnes for captive mining to various companies in private sector under Screening Committee Route and 38 coal blocks with GR of 15.45 billion tonnes were allocated to Central/State PSUs for captive and commercial mining under the Government Company dispensation route.

Applications were invited for allocation of 27 blocks (l0 blocks for power sector and 17 blocks for non-power sector) to Central/State PSUs under the Government Company Dispensation route.

Further, 81 coal blocks having total geological reserves of about 20.02 billion tonnes were identified for allocation to government and private sector companies for permissible end-uses.

Of the above 81 coal blocks, 39 coal blocks with about six billion tonnes of reserves were recently advertised and applications invited for allocation to companies for specified end uses.

Moher, Moher-Amlori Extension and Chhtrasal coal blocks with combined reserves of about 800 million tonnes were allocated to meet the coal requirement of Ultra Mega Power Project being set up at Sasan in Madhya Pradesh.

In addition, coal blocks with reserves of about 885 million tonnes were allocated to the Ultra Mega Power Project proposed to be set up in Orissa.

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