Supreme Court is likely to hear the Utkal B1 block matter in the second week of September and has also issued a notice to JSPL directing status quo to be maintained for blocks in question.
Stating the Delhi High Court‘s ruling to remove two coal blocks from ongoing coal auction will not impact it, Coal Secretary Anil Swarup today said that while the government was fully prepared to contest such cases, it had not yet taken decided whether to move the Supreme Court to contest the decision.
GD Mundra, director, Sarda Energy & Minerals believes the Delhi High Court wants prior allottees to be given an opportunity to bid for their own mine as based on them these companies have set up end-use plants.
JSPL had contested the change of end use of Utkal B1 and Gare Palma IV/6 from steel to power.
Delhi HC made these observations while hearing Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) and its promoter Naveen Jindal‘s petition challenging the change of end-use of two coal blocks in Odisha and Chhattisgarh, which were earlier allocated to it.
The coal block allocatees were earlier issued show-cause notices for delaying the production from their mines.