New Delhi: The government yesterday introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha to begin allocation of coal blocks that were cancelled by the Supreme Court.
The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill, 2014, will replace an ordinance which outlines the procedure for auction of coal blocks that were cancelled by the Supreme Court in September.
Amid strong objections from opposition members, the bill was introduced by Coal Minister Piyush Goyal, who said it did not seek de-nationalisation of coal mines.
Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy opposed the introduction of the bill, saying it opens the doors for denationalisation of coal mines.
“It seeks to nullify the Coal Mines Nationalisation Act, 1975,” he said, adding it will give over the country’s energy sector to private hands and will lead to exploitation of coal miners. “The bill does not see“ to de-nationalise coal mines,” Goyal said in response to the charge made by Roy and Left members.
In his clarification the minister said the Supreme Court has held as arbitrary the allocation of coal blocks through a screening committee. “It has certain consequences because of which allocation of coal blocks was cancelled. At that point of time the entire country was seized of the problem and there was fear that this will lead to lack in production of coal as well as lakhs of people would become jobless,” he said.
“At that point, it was necessary for the government to take proactive measures,” Goyal said, adding that the ordinance does not seek to denationalize coal mines.
The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the bill said it provided for allocation of coal mines and vesting of the right, title and interest in and over the land and mine infrastructure, together with mining leases, to successful bidders and allottees through a transparent bidding process.
IANS
