The Hindu Business Line : Coal Ministry allocates 27 blocks

New Delhi, July 18 The Coal Ministry has allocated 27 blocks under the Government Companies Dispensation with a total reserve of more that 8,000 million tonnes (mt).

A senior official of the Coal Ministry told Business Line that out of the 27 coal blocks that have been allotted, 10 blocks are for the power sector and the rest for commercial mining.

“The total reserves of the 27 coal blocks together is more than 8,000 mt with an annual production capacity of more that 72 mt.”

The companies which have been allotted blocks for commercial mining are Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation, West Bengal Mineral Development Corporation, West Bengal Mineral Development and Trading Corporation, Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation, MP State Mineral Development Corporation, Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation, National Mineral Development Corporation and Maharashtra State Mineral Corporation. These coal blocks have reserves of 1,847.75 mt.

“The 10 blocks that have been allotted to the power sector can support thermal power generation of 16,000 MW and is likely to go up with the availability of resources increasing after detailed exploration,” the official said.

The power companies which have been allotted the blocks are NTPC Ltd, Damodar Valley Corporation, Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation, Orissa Power Generation Company, Pondicherry Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation Ltd, UP Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd, Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation, Gujarat Power Corporation Ltd, Maharashtra Generation Corporation, Kerala State Electricity Board, Orissa Hydel Power Corporation, Assam Mineral Development Corporation, Meghalaya Mineral Development Corporation, Orissa Mining Corporation, Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, Jharkhand State Electricity Board and Bihar State Mineral Development Corporation.

With the allocation, the number of companies which have been allotted coal blocks have gone up to 161 under both schemes (the other being Captive Mining Dispensation) of the Government.

“The various allocations are part of the Government’s initiatives to increase coal production with increased participation of companies outside the domain of public sector companies,” the official said.

The Government is now targeting production of 105 mt from captive blocks in 2011-12 against the present production level of 17 mt.