New Delhi: Government will constitute a panel to determine technical eligibility of bidders for coal mines in the upcoming auction.
"It has been decided...To constitute a technical evaluation committee for determining technical eligibility of bidders in respect of e-auction of schedule-1 mines," an official memorandum said.
The six-member panel will be headed by State Vigilance Commissioner, West Bengal, K S Ramasubban. It will have members from Central Electricity Authority, Power Ministry and National Institute of Secondary Steel Technology, Steel Ministry, among others.
The auction would be held between February 14-22.
The government will auction 46 coal blocks to private companies.
Under the schedule II (producing mines) category, 23 blocks will be put on offer. This and another set of 23 mines will be auctioned between February 25 and March 5 under the Schedule III (ready to produce mines) category.
The Coal Ministry has already started the process for allocation of 36 mines to PSUs.
Of the 36 blocks listed by the government, 35 will go to power PSUs while the remaining one has been earmarked for a steel PSU.
In its chargesheet, CBI alleged that it had found in the probe that JIPL had "grossly misrepresented" a number of aspects before Ministry of Steel (MoS) and Ministry of Coal (MoC) to inflate their claim, thereby inducing MoC officers and the screening committee to allocate coal block to them.
It had alleged that JIPL, along with three other firms, Electro Steel Casting Ltd, Adhunik Alloys and Power Ltd and Pawanjay Steel and Power Ltd, was jointly allocated North Dhadu coal block by the 27th and 30th screening committee.
In its charge sheet, CBI also claimed that no efforts were made by the screening committee to verify the applicant firm's claims, while the MoS also did not develop any methodology to assess the applicant companies.
It said some records of MoC relating to the case were stated to be missing and a separate preliminary enquiry has been launched by CBI.
CBI had said no involvement of any public servant was found in the entire process during its probe.
