To replace an ordinance to facilitate coal block auctions, the Centre has introduced a Bill in the Lok Sabha, amid opposition by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
The government had promulgated a second ordinance after the Winter session, saying this had been done to overcome the uncertainty in the coal sector after the Supreme Court cancelled coal block allocations.
This ordinance will now be replaced by The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill, 2015, which was introduced by Coal Minister Piyush Goyal.
Opposing the Bill, BJD leader Bhartruhari Mahtab said the Centre had taken certain “subjective” decisions and that Odisha was not taken into confidence while deciding on the auction.
Not against auction He, however, added that his party was not against auctioning of mines. The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill 2015 provides for allocation of coal mines and vesting of the right, title and interest in and over the land and mine infrastructure, together with mining leases, to successful bidders through a transparent bidding process.