Coal news and updates

Odisha, Maharashtra not to approve coal blocks under CBI lens

Companies with coal blocks in Odisha and Maharashtra have become victims of the policy paralysis that seems to have set in since the eruption of the alleged scam in coal block allocations by the central government.

Both states have stopped granting approvals or clearances to coal blocks despite repeated reminders from the Union coal ministry. Odisha government has told the coal ministry that it will not give clearances to blocks that are in litigation or are being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), a senior coal ministry official said. The ministry has told state governments to proceed with clearances to blocks until an irregularity is proven in any allocation, added the official, who did not wish to be named. "However, Odisha government has said that proceeding in respect of allocations that are under litigation or being investigated by CBI is not advisable till the time the matters are settled," the official said.

Source: The Economic Times