New Delhi The group of ministers (GoM) on coal has approved conditional environment clearances to the Mahan and Chhatrasal coal mines projects. The projects would now go to the cabinet for final clearance.

The decision came after the GoM in its meeting in March had asked the environment ministry to form an expert panel to evaluate the impact of mining in the two mines on environment.

The ministerial panel, headed by FM, recommends green clearance to be considered by the Cabinet

In a major relief to Anil Ambani-led Reliance Power, Aditya Birla Group and Essar Power, a 12-member ministerial panel on coal on Wednesday recommended environmental clearance for two coal blocks linked to critical infrastructure projects being developed by the three major corporate houses. Environmental clearance for the blocks had been hanging fire for two years, following the environment ministry’s controversial ‘no-go’ classification that had barred mining in heavily-forested areas.

New Delhi Power, cement and steel companies, which are facing uncertainty due to environmental and other regulatory issues over their captive coal blocks, can now relax. This is because the government will soon come out with a policy on allocation of alternative coal blocks to them. The group of ministers on coal, slated to meet here on Wednesday, is expected to approve the new policy proposed by the coal ministry.

The idea, said a government source, is to remove impediments to use captive mining rights. The proposed policy would help develop projects worth billions of dollars in these sectors.

The environment ministry denied on Monday that it had effected any changes in the way forest clearances were granted in wildlife areas and said they would continue to be routed through the National

More than eight months after the government scrapped the controversial ‘no-go’ policy, which had banned mining in some areas, state-owned Coal India Ltd (CIL) is still struggling to operate its new projects located in the so-called no-go areas in the absence of a formal go-ahead from the environment ministry.

The delay is set to stem the miner’s efforts to meet new supply obligations, further aggravating the ongoing coal crisis in the country. “Since September last year, only two of our new mining projects have received clearance and, that too, outside of the no-go list.

New Delhi Lack of assured coal linkages may drive 18 firms to open market

As many as 18 upcoming power projects with an aggregate capacity of over 25,000 MW might be forced to violate their tariff commitments and seek a much higher price from consumers. This is because the coal ministry has rejected a request from the developers of these projects for assured coal linkages and they might have no other option but to resort to the open market for fuel.

Villagers living in Singrauli district of Madhya Pradesh have written to the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) contending that handing over a sizeable section of the forests of Mahan will mean a loss to both the individual and community forest rights.

The letter was written on March 15, 2012, and was submitted to the local divisional forest officer. A decision on the allocation of the Mahan coal block to Mahan Coal Ltd, a joint venture company of Essar and Hindalco power plants, is awaiting a green signal from the environment ministry.

New Delhi: The Chhatrasal coal block in Madhya Pradesh is in the eye of a storm again, with the group of ministers (GoM) forcing the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) to review its decisio

Current Indian investment may not be hit immediately

The Australian government’s move to impose 30 per cent tax on coal mining and iron ore profits might not affect any Indian investment in that country immediately, but could have an impact on Indian companies, including state-run mining major Coal India Limited (CIL), which are scouting for assets Down Under.

Tata Power, Reliance Power, ArcelorMittal, Jindal Steel & Power and Monnet Ispat & Energy are among 60 companies that face the risk of cancellation of mining licences for being slow in