End-users of coal blocks from unregulated sectors, such as steel, cement and others, can be clubbed together depending on the grade of fuel available in the area.
Clarifying the industry’s doubts at a meeting organised by Assocham, Coal Secretary Anil Swarup said: “The basic concern is to keep regulated (power) and non-regulated sectors separate. For blocks to the non-regulated sectors, we can look at clubbing the end-use but to the regulated sector the coal has to be sold to the specified end-use which is power.”
Swarup said that the rules for the e-auctions will be notified in a day or two while the number of blocks to be given for regulated and unregulated sectors will be finalised within three days.