The Government’s move to bring an Ordinance to re-allocate over 200 coal blocks with an enabling provision for commercial mining by private entities in future will open the door for denationalisation of the coal sector, the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) said in a statement.
The CITU, which leads the All-India Coal Workers’ Federation, demanded that all the de-allocated coal blocks be vested or returned to Coal India Ltd for exploration and mining, in keeping with the mandate and spirit of the Coal Nationalisation Act, 1973.
“Return of all those coal blocks under the Apex Court's order to Coal India Ltd must be the only response by the Government in the post-Supreme Court-order-situation,” said CITU President, A K Padmanabhan, calling upon workers and trade unions to unite and resist such a “disastrous move of allowing commercial mining by private entities at the initiation stage itself.”
The CITU urged the Government to reconsider its decision to auction those coal blocks again to private entities, adding that “Coal India Ltd should remain the only nodal agency to mine coal and deliver to consumers, including industries, in the national interest and it should be further strengthened and consolidated.”