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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
Coal India employees, who were barred by their unions from buying shares during the mega-IPO last year, may after all get another opportunity.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said the larger interest of the public sector would be fully protected.
The government is auctioning 42 coal mines among 204 coal blocks.
An Inter-ministerial panel had last month approved 10 per cent equity sale in Coal India. At present, the government holds 90 per cent stake in the firm.
Reliance Capital Asset Management Company (RCAM) and ICICI Securities Primary Dealership have been selected to manage Rs 60,000 crore (Rs 600 billion) provident fund corpus of coal industry workers.
The Enforcement Directorate to take a "conclusive action" towards attachment of assets of those involved in coal scam.
Major corporates are staring at an uncertain future after investing substantially on their projects
The government on Friday said that some of the coal blocks lying in the "no-go" areas, which could not be used for mining, may be shifted to the go-areas, a move to expedite clearance for ultra mega power projects.
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