In a bid to diversify its portfolio, the state-owned National Thermal Power Corporation proposes to foray into new areas, including coal mining and coal washeries, through the joint venture route where it would hold minority stake.
As of now, only Indian power, steel and cement companies can mine coal for their own consumption.
Production of eight infrastructure sectors recorded an almost flat growth rate of 6 per cent in February as against 5.9 per cent in the same month last year, according to official data released on Friday. The growth in February is lowest in the last three months. The output of core sectors had increased by 8.9 per cent in January 2023 and 7 per cent in December 2022.
'The prime minister's comment on 'revdi culture' was welcome. But I am disappointed he did not follow up on that.' 'All political parties, including the BJP, have been guilty of this.' 'Now, Modi's guarantees, the Congress's 'nyay' path and both ruling and Opposition parties are vying with each other for freebies in my home state Andhra Pradesh.'
The central government has admitted before the Supreme Court that 189 out of the 236 documents sought by the Central Bureau of Investigation, which is probing coal block allocation scam, is "not-available".
In a bid to check industrial unrest, the government on Friday extended "the public utility service" status of the coal industry till December 17.
Amid furore over coal blocks allocation, the government will place its views before Parliament's Public Accounts Committee by September 14 on the observations made by the Comptroller and Auditor General. "The coal ministry will submit its comments to the PAC on CAG's observations on coal blocks allocations by September 14," said a top coal ministry official.
India is expected to cut imports by a fifth in the fiscal year.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has recorded statements of the then ministers of state in the coal ministry Santosh Bagrodia and Dasari Narayan Rao in connection with the coal block allocation scam.
India offers policy stability, transparency and consultative process of governance to incubate investment, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday as she invited investments in prospecting energy resources in the country. Stressing that there is a need for investments in coal, she said, "We need greater investments also to help in gasification of coal. I invite all of you to energetically participate in the (sixth round of commercial mines) auction processes which have been launched today and keep your options also further extended for greater extraction of minerals in India." During this 'Amrit Kaal', India needs all the basic minerals as the country is in the process of rapid growth, she added.
The Union Government on Thursday said that 5.9 million tonnes of lithium reserves have been found for the first time in the country in Jammu and Kashmir. Lithium is a non-ferrous metal and is one of the key components in EV batteries. "Geological Survey of India for the first time established Lithium inferred resources (G3) of 5.9 million tonnes in the Salal-Haimana area of the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir," the ministry of mines said on Thursday.
The Central Bureau of Investigation is likely to inform the Supreme Court that it has received all the relevant files related to coal block allocation scam and might recommend closure of preliminary enquiries in this regard.
NRW is one of the leading providers of construction and mining services with a turnover $1.35 billion in 2011-12.
Minster of State in the Prime Minister's Office V Narayansami today said Centre is examining demands for including coal block allocations made during national Democratic Alliance rule within purview of Central Buerau of Investigation probe.
The Indian Railways has decided to not cancel any more passenger trains to accommodate more freight traffic for coal transport. It will also gradually restore the ones it cancelled recently. The national transporter is of the view that coal supply is now reaching normative levels and does not need any more special measures. "Early data suggests that coal supply has stepped up since the passenger trains were cancelled.
Asserting that there is nothing wrong in allocation of coal blocks, former Union Coal Secretary Prakash Chandra Parakh on Wednesday said if the Central Bureau of Investigation considers a conspiracy in this case then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh should be held equally responsible being the final decision maker.
Former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda, ex-Coal Secretary H C Gupta, former Jharkhand chief secretary Ashok Kumar Basu and six others were on Tuesday ordered to be put on trial by a special court on charges of corruption, criminal conspiracy and cheating in connection with a coal block allocation scam case.
So far, CBI's investigations into the coal scam are highly superficial and limited to small fishes. It is unlikely to go deeper in the political connections, a source tells rediff.com
The 17 related ministries have been combined into seven different groups, including some infrastructure departments, in a bid to ensure synergy and better results.
Making a stinging criticism of the Central Bureau of Investigation and senior officials of the coal ministry and the Prime Minister's Office, the Supreme Court on Wednesday hauled them up for changing the "heart" of the coal-gate probe report but appeared to have given a breather for Law Minister Ashwani Kumar and the government for the time being.
The Supreme Court is expected to deliver its final verdict on coal mine allocations later this week.
According to latest data (October 13) by the Central Electricity Authority, total fuel stocks at 103 coal-based stations have come down to 7.2 million tonnes.
The recommendation, if implemented, could severely dent coal miners' bottom line.
The mines ministry has sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention in bailing out aluminium giant Nalco of the acute paucity of coal, which has forced the PSU to close down two of its captive power plants.
The agency said files of the case were sent to competent authority.
Buoyed by higher demand for crude oil and imported coal, Indian ports recorded a growth of 11 per cent in traffic during the April-June quarter of 2022-23. This shows that the economy is opening up, a report by DAM Capital said. The volume increase assumes significance since both prices of crude oil and imported coal have been soaring this year. Indian coal companies were pressed for supply amid a thermal coal crisis earlier in the year.
Parliament has cleared the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023, recently. The objective of the Act is to invite investments from the private sector, including foreign companies, for mining minerals such as lithium and other critical minerals. Other than lithium, some of these minerals were classified as atomic minerals, including beryl and beryllium, niobium, titanium, tantalum and zirconium.
Stressing the need for coal sector reforms, the presentation said, "Independent regulation of coal sector becomes essential to ensure that e-auction remains competitive, to fix formulae for price revision for long-term fuel supply, to fix trading margins and to improve exploitation and allocation of available resources.
Of these, 14 have received environmental clearances and four forestry clearances.
Law Minister Ashwani Kumar's fate hung in balance as the Supreme Court takes on record on Tuesday CBI Director's affidavit and the agency's status report on the coal blocks allocation scam that was shared with the minister and senior officials of PMO and Coal ministry.
As it wants to put a sizeable number of shares in the market and also offer them to employees and farmers displaced by its mines.
The government on Friday asked three firms, Tenughat Vidyut Nigam, Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corp and Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corp, to begin production from coal blocks allocated to them for captive use without further delay.
Plug-in hybrids have two engines and the electric part has a much larger battery than in the regular hybrids. Car companies, led by the Japanese, are pushing the Indian government to look at hybrids in the interim if it wants to reduce carbon emission.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday demanded the resignation of Law Minister Ashwani Kumar over allegations of government's interference in CBI's probe into coal blocks and suggested that the Supreme Court should appoint a Special Investigation Team to bring out the truth.
The Modi government's e-auction policy for coal, meant to shield the consumer against hike in electricity charges, has already led to serious allegations of cartelisation among the bidding corporates. Matters came to such a pass that the government at one point last week was considering inviting the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe the matter, reports Sheela Bhatt/Rediff.com.
Prabhu-led advisory group also suggests JVs with mining and infra firms.
In a bid to break the monopoly of public sector coal companies, the government is planning to permit private coal mining companies to sell the commodity, thus overcoming the need for legislative changes.
in the first lot 74 blocks will be auctioned, but the number of mines a company can bid will be capped to avoid monopoly.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has alleged that some companies which were allotted coal blocks between 2006 and 2009 had "misrepresented" facts and made "fraudulent" claims to "embellish" their applications to get the allotments.
Coal India employees, who were barred by their unions from buying shares during the mega-IPO last year, may after all get another opportunity.
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