Coal India may invite expression of interest for appointing private miners — for developing and mining seven coal assets with an estimated annual production capacity of 17.5 million tonnes — next week.
The move, though initiated last fiscal, was stalled nearly six months ago, to improve the scope of participation of major players, including foreign miners.
Expert help sought
CIL sought help of the expert group in the Planning Commission — having expertise in drafting public-private-partnership bid documents in major infrastructure projects – to improve the bid document.
According to its Chairman S. Narsing Rao, the preparation is finally over and the company may invite expression of interest for appointing mine developer and operator, next week.
“The RFQ (request for qualification) will be floated next week to shortlist the miners. This should be followed by the bidding round. We hope to complete the process of awarding contracts by March 31, 2014,” he told newspersons on the sidelines of a seminar organised by Mining, Geological and Metallurgical Institute of India in Kolkata on Saturday.
According to him, the seven assets to be developed through private miners cover five opencast and two underground.
The company aims to develop a total of 15 opencast and 12 underground mines with a combined production capacity of 40-50 million tonnes through this route in phases.