NTPC seeks review of de-allocation decision

* Company says has met all norms,seeks return of allocated mines.

State-run power giant NTPC has asked the coal ministry to review its decision on the de-allocation of three coal blocks and revert them to the maharatna company.

In a letter to Coal Secretary C Balakrishnan today,NTPC Chairman and Managing Director Arup Roy Choudhury said his company has obtained statutory clearances,acquired land and incurred substantial expenditure in developing these blocks and has also appraised both power and coal ministries from time to time.

To ensure their expeditious development,NTPC is going ahead with the engagement of a Mine-Developer-cum-Operator for carrying out land acquisition and other infrastructure activities in these blocks, he pointed out.

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He recalled in response to the de-allocation notices on June 14 that the maharatna company had already asked the power ministry to take up the issue of reconsidering the decision and reverting the coal blocks.

Acting on NTPCs request,power ministry joint secretary ICP Keshari has asked the coal ministry to review its decision on de-allocation Chhatti Bariatu,Kerandari and Chhatti Bariatu (South) blocks of the state-run company.

Reiterating NTPCs commitment on developing these blocks,Roy Choudhury reiterated his companys commitment to operationlise these blocks at the earliest in a much better way in comparison with its peers and simultaneously provide better services to the project-affected persons.

Questioning the wisdom of the coal ministry in de-allocating other two blocks Brahmini and Chichro-Patsimal,power ministry sources told this newspaper that these two blocks were jointly allocated to Coal India Limited (CIL) and NTPC under a 50:50 joint venture partnership.

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If the letter has been issued to NTPC,why not CIL which is equally responsible for developing them. This de-allocation happened despite coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal saying earlier that his ministry might review its decision on cancellation of NTPCs blocks following a request by the power ministry.

This despite NTPC already investing over Rs 150 crore so far for developing them. The three blocks put together have coal reserves worth 836 Million Tonne.

NTPC is already fighting a bitter turf war with Coal India Limited on the issue of its proposed power plant Besides the blocks,NTPC is also locked in a battle with CIL on its proposed power plant in the North Karanpura coalfields.

While NTPC is going ahead with its plans to set up 1,980 MW super thermal power plant here,but the coal ministry has protested saying it would render at least six billion tonnes of the fuel of CIL impotent for any use. The Group of Ministers headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is understood to be engaged in ironing out the differences at the behest of the Prime Minister.