Chawla panel for allowing mining companies to participate in auction

NEW DELHI: The government today said the Ashok Chawla Committee on Allocation of Natural Resources has recommended allowing independent mining firms to take part in auctions for captive blocks.

"The Ashok Chawla Committee on Allocation of Natural Resources recommends allowing independent mining firms to take part in auctions for captive blocks, with suitably notified groups of end user firms," Minister of State for Finance, Namo Narain Meena informed Rajya Sabha today.

It suggests improving the regularity of the quantity and predictability of location of e-auction coal to allow development of associated logistics.

It recommends creating a platform for transaction of coal and the platform would be owned by Coal India to meet current regulatory needs.

The committee said that imported coal could also be offered through the coal transaction platform.

The Ashok Chawla Committee on Allocation of Natural Resources gave 81 recommendations covering eight natural resources coal, minerals, petroleum, natural gas, spectrum, forests, land and water.

"The government has accepted 69 recommendations of the Ashok Chawla Committee on Allocation of Natural Resources. One has not been accepted and 11 are consideration," he said.