(a) whether the Government proposes to auction some coal
blocks in near future;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the estimated coal reserve
along with the area where these blocks are available;
(c) whether the Government expects aggressive bids for
the same; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COAL (SHRI PRATIK PRAKASHBAPU PATIL)
(a) & (b): Yes, Sir. 54 coal blocks with total Geological Reserves of
about 18.22 Billion Tonnes (BT) are identified for allocation, out of which
16 blocks with 7.27 BT reserves for Govt. companies, 16 blocks with 8.16 BT
for power sector companies selected through tariff based bidding and 22
blocks with 2.79 BT for companies selected through auction have been
earmarked for allocation. These coal blocks are located in the states
of Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Madhya
Pradesh and Maharashtra.
(c) & (d): It is not possible to anticipate the response that will
be received from the prospective bidders.