Govt to auction 27 more coal mines starting Feb 27

The coal ministry on Wednesday said that 27 coal mines would be put on sale in the next round of commercial mines auction starting from February 27. The auction process for 141 coal and lignite mines was launched by the coal ministry in November last year.

"After completion of technical evaluation, 27 coal mines which received more than one bid, will be put up for forward auction from Monday, February 27, 2023 onwards," the ministry said in a statement.

In a bid to familiarise bidders with the auction process, a mock e-auction will be conducted on February 24. According to the statement, the ministry launched the 6th round and 2nd attempt of the 5th round of commercial coal mines auctions on November 3, 2022, which received an unprecedented response from the industry.

"96 bids were received for 36 coal mines, including participation from many first-time bidders, reflecting the enthusiasm among the bidders and the positive sentiment about the coal mining sector," it added.