Amid persisting issues over fuel supplies for power projects, the Coal Ministry has set up an inter-ministerial group (IMG) to look into applications from government companies for allocation of coal blocks.
The constitution of the new panel comes against the backdrop of a prolonged tussle, primarily between the Coal and Power Ministries, over the issue of inadequate fuel supplies from state-run Coal India Ltd (CIL) despite interventions at the highest levels. The 14-member committee under the chairmanship of the coal secretary will have representatives from Power, Steel, Law & Justice and Planning Commission, among others, the Coal Ministry said in an official memorandum. 'An Inter-Ministerial Committee under the Chairmanship of Secretary (Coal)... is constituted with the approval of competent authority,' said the Ministry.
The panel shall co-opt the representatives of the concerned state governments where the coal blocks and the end-use plants would be located, it added.
'The Inter-Ministerial Committee shall consider the applications received from the government companies for allocation of coal blocks on the basis of predetermined criteria and make recommendations after making comparative evaluation of the applications received,' it said. The panel shall also approve the proforma for inviting applications and recommend eligibility criteria and parameters for evaluation of the applications in terms of weights decided prior to inviting the applications by the government, the Ministry said.
The Coal Ministry has identified 54 mines for allocation. Of these, 16 are earmarked for government firms, 16 for power sector and 22 for allocation through auction route.
Of the 54 coal mines identified to be allocated, only 12 have been explored so far, the Ministry said. The Ministry also refused to give a time frame for conducting auction of these blocks.
GOM MEET ON COAL REGULATOR DEFERRED AS MINISTERS ‘BUSY’
A meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM), under the Chairmanship of Finance Minster P Chidambaram which was to be held on Tuesday to deliberate on the draft coal regulator bill has been postponed.
'The GoM meeting on Coal Regulator bill has been postponed due to Ministers' preoccupations in Parliament,' a government official said. No fresh date has been fixed as of now, he added.
The Cabinet had referred the draft Bill for setting up a regulatory authority for the coal sector to a ministerial panel.
Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal had said in November that GoM assigned to set up coal sector regulator may come up with its final recommendations soon after its meeting in December.
'I think in one or two meetings it (setting up of the coal regulator) would be decided,' the minister had said. In May, the Union Cabinet had discussed the proposal for a coal regulator and asked the GoM to make recommendations on its powers and functions. The setting-up of an independent regulator for the coal sector is considered important for competitiveness of e- auctions, fixing guidelines for price revision in supply pacts, fixing trading margins and increasing transparency in the allocation of reserves.
A coal regulator was recommended in the country's Integrated Energy Policy as well as by the T L Shankar Committee on coal sector reforms. A few states and stakeholders are also demanding setting -up of the coal regulator to induce greater transparency in coal block allocation and price fixing.
The constitution of the new panel comes against the backdrop of a prolonged tussle, primarily between the Coal and Power Ministries, over the issue of inadequate fuel supplies from state-run Coal India Ltd (CIL) despite interventions at the highest levels. The 14-member committee under the chairmanship of the coal secretary will have representatives from Power, Steel, Law & Justice and Planning Commission, among others, the Coal Ministry said in an official memorandum. 'An Inter-Ministerial Committee under the Chairmanship of Secretary (Coal)... is constituted with the approval of competent authority,' said the Ministry.
The panel shall co-opt the representatives of the concerned state governments where the coal blocks and the end-use plants would be located, it added.
'The Inter-Ministerial Committee shall consider the applications received from the government companies for allocation of coal blocks on the basis of predetermined criteria and make recommendations after making comparative evaluation of the applications received,' it said. The panel shall also approve the proforma for inviting applications and recommend eligibility criteria and parameters for evaluation of the applications in terms of weights decided prior to inviting the applications by the government, the Ministry said.
The Coal Ministry has identified 54 mines for allocation. Of these, 16 are earmarked for government firms, 16 for power sector and 22 for allocation through auction route.
Of the 54 coal mines identified to be allocated, only 12 have been explored so far, the Ministry said. The Ministry also refused to give a time frame for conducting auction of these blocks.
GOM MEET ON COAL REGULATOR DEFERRED AS MINISTERS ‘BUSY’
A meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM), under the Chairmanship of Finance Minster P Chidambaram which was to be held on Tuesday to deliberate on the draft coal regulator bill has been postponed.
'The GoM meeting on Coal Regulator bill has been postponed due to Ministers' preoccupations in Parliament,' a government official said. No fresh date has been fixed as of now, he added.
The Cabinet had referred the draft Bill for setting up a regulatory authority for the coal sector to a ministerial panel.
Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal had said in November that GoM assigned to set up coal sector regulator may come up with its final recommendations soon after its meeting in December.
'I think in one or two meetings it (setting up of the coal regulator) would be decided,' the minister had said. In May, the Union Cabinet had discussed the proposal for a coal regulator and asked the GoM to make recommendations on its powers and functions. The setting-up of an independent regulator for the coal sector is considered important for competitiveness of e- auctions, fixing guidelines for price revision in supply pacts, fixing trading margins and increasing transparency in the allocation of reserves.
A coal regulator was recommended in the country's Integrated Energy Policy as well as by the T L Shankar Committee on coal sector reforms. A few states and stakeholders are also demanding setting -up of the coal regulator to induce greater transparency in coal block allocation and price fixing.