Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Coal has crossed a major threshold in its effort to reform the coal sector, officially allocating its 200th coal block under the commercial mining initiative. The latest block — Marwatola–II — has been allotted to Singhal Business Private Limited.
This milestone marks a key moment in the government’s strategy to open up the coal sector, strengthen domestic production, and reduce reliance on imports. According to the Ministry, the move reflects its long-term commitment to a “resilient, transparent, and future-ready” coal mining ecosystem.
“The issuance of the allocation order reaffirms our commitment to sectoral reforms, private sector engagement, and energy self-reliance,” the Ministry said in an official statement.
The government has introduced several reforms in recent years aimed at modernizing coal mining operations and removing investment hurdles. These include:
• The launch of commercial coal mining,
• A streamlined single-window clearance system,
• Adoption of digital monitoring and governance tools.
Together, these steps are designed to improve efficiency, accountability, and ease of doing business — especially for private enterprises entering the coal market.
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Auction Activity Heats Up
As part of the ongoing reforms, the Ministry’s Nominated Authority also opened bids under the 12th round of commercial coal block auctions. A total of 38 bids were received for 8 out of 11 coal blocks offered in this round.
The process was conducted transparently. Electronic bids were decrypted in the presence of the bidders, followed by the opening of sealed offline bid documents — all displayed live on screen for participants.
Companies participating in the auction include:
Jindal Steel and Power Limited, Damodar Valley Corporation, NLC India Limited, Amalgam Steel and Power Ltd, Oriental Quarries and Mines Pvt Ltd, Penna Shipping Limited, Orissa Alloy Steel Pvt Ltd, and Jharkhand Exploration and Mining Corporation Limited.