IMG to Coal Ministry: Seek Law Ministry's view on mines named in FIR by CBI

NEW DELHI: The Inter-Ministerial Group on coal blocks has asked the Coal Ministry to seek an opinion of the Law Ministry with regard to six mines which have are alloted to firms like ArcelorMittal, Sterlite Energy, Lanco, Reliance Energy and are named in FIR registered by CBI.

"In cases of...six blocks, where an FIR has been registered by CBI against the allocatee or one of the allocatees of the coal block, IMG...remitted the matters back to the Coal Ministry to take a view in the matter in consultation with Law Ministry," an official document said.

The six blocks, include Rampia & Dip Side of Rampia mine jointly alloted to Sterlite Energy, GMR Energy, ArcelorMittal, Lanco Group, Navbharat Power and Reliance Energy, Thesgora-B/Rudrapuri mine alloted to Kamal Sponge Steel & Power and Revati Cement and Bander mine alloted to AMR Iron & Steels, Century Textiles & Industries and J K Cement.

The Central Bureau of Investigation is probing alleged irregularities in the allocation of 192 coal blocks between 1993 and 2011.

The agency has registered three preliminary enquiries, which are related to allocations between 2006 and 2009, blocks awarded between 1993 and 2004, and allotments to joint ventures.

The government had formed the IMG last year to review the progress of coal blocks allocated to firms for captive use and recommend action, including deallocation.

Last month, the IMG had recommended issuing show cause notices to allocatees of 27 coal blocks and seeking explanation for slow progress in development of 21 mines.

The coal ministry had earlier issued notices to allottees of 30 captive coal blocks for failing to develop the blocks on time.