India allots 60 coal blocks to pvt cos

New Delhi, May 18 (UNI) Centre has so far allocated 60 coal blocks to the private companies, of which seven have alredy started mining operations.

According to official sources, to ensure timely development of coal blocks allotted to private companies the Coal Ministry has initiated various measures like quarterly review at the Ministry level, bi-annual review by the Coal Controller, laying down of specific time bound milestones for development of coal blocks and introduction of bank guarantee deposit.

''Based on the periodic monitoring, the Ministry reviews the cases and wherever found necessary, the Ministry takes appropriate measures on merits, including deallocation of block where warranted,'' the sources added.

These blocks have estimated coal reserves of over 7,900 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT).

UNI