Ministry will wait further before deciding on 30 others

Acting on the recommendations of the Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG), the Coal Ministry is likely to issue formal orders for cancellation of 29 captive coal blocks belonging to Hindalco, Tata Power, Jindal Steel and Power and Essar Power, among others.

A Parliamentary panel has raised concerns over officers of the Coal Ministry and PSUs, who were directly or indirectly connected with allotment of mines, joining the private sector soon after retir

Hindalco’s Mahan coal block, along with some blocks of Tata Steel, Jindal Steel and Power and Reliance Power could be cancelled by an inter-ministerial group, which will meet on Friday. The cancellations would figure as part of the list of 61 blocks that were allocated to companies between 2005 and 2008.

Significantly, the cancellation for Mahan, if it happens, would be after it has got a go-ahead from the ministry of environment and forests recently. Aditya Birla Group company Hindalco and Ruia’s Essar have plans to develop the block jointly.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in a meeting on Thursday is likely to modify its directions on 61 coal blocks, which have been issued notices for not starting production.

Peeved over clandestine approach of Odisha Power Generation Corporation (OPGC) officials to acquire land in Tilia village for expansion of Units III and IV (2 X 660 MW) of Thermal Power Station, th