Press Trust Of India / New Delhi October 18, 2008, 0:58 IST

Ending monopoly of state-run mapping and exploration agencies, the government has permitted companies in possession of captive coal blocks to get further examination of the asset done by private firms.

Ranchi: Steel major ArcelorMittal was today able to break the ice with over 200 villagers of Khunti and Gumla districts where it is scouting for land to set up mega steel and power projects with an investment of over Rs 40,000 crore.

Dhanbad: The public investment bureau (PIB) has shown the green light to a Rs 6,997-crore Jharia rehabilitation package and it is just a matter of time before the Union Cabinet puts its stamp of approval. But the million dollar question is who will convince some 400,000 residents to evacuate the danger zone, where an underground fire has been raging for more than 90 years?

Press Trust Of India / New Delhi October 15, 2008, 0:40 IST
To introduce a Bill in the coming session.

The Centre plans to introduce competitive bidding for allocation of coal blocks, a move that will benefit consuming industries like power and steel.

TO MINE OR NOT: The Supreme Court of India has asked the Madhya Pradesh government to explain why the mining activity in the state should not be restrained. Petitioner Ajay Dubey, secretary of Prayatna, a Bhopal-based NGO, pointed out that a number of mining leases were functioning illegally across the state. The state pollution board had also admitted that of the 5,069 mining leases across the

SHILLONG: An eight-member delegation of the MPA Government, led by Deputy Chief Minister Timothy D Shira, will visit High Wall Mining Technology Mission, USA from October 19 to 26 to get the hang of the technology used by the Mission for coal mining.

The continuous expansion of the cement industry is fuelling the demand for imported coal in the current financial year, a leading coal importer told Daily Times.

It is expected that the cement industry would consume 3.2 to 3.5 million tonnes of coal this year.

THE ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) is preparing model terms of reference (ToR) for mining projects to expedite coal mining activities. Currently, the ministry prepares ToRs for individual project proposals leading to delay in obtaining environmental clearances.