SHILLONG, March 17: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Wednesday told the Assembly that there are eleven designated coal depots in the state and that the transportation of coal to six of them has started for the Coal India Limited (CIL) auctioning process.
“As of now, the government has notified 11 designated depots in East Jaintia Hills, West Khasi Hills, South West Khasi Hills and South Garo Hills districts,” the CM said replying to a query from Congress MLA from East Shillong, Mohendro Rapsang during the question hour in the Assembly today.
Stating that infrastructure work has been completed in six of the depots, he said the process of transporting coal from the sites to the depots is on.
He said each district has a certain amount of coal. He said auction in that district will take place based on the quantity that reaches the depots. He said 50,000 metric tonnes of coal will be auctioned in East Jaintia Hills and 9,000 metric tonnes in South Garo Hills.
“The process will continue till we are able to dispose of the entire 32,56,715 metric tonnes of coal,” he said.
Replying to a query on the handling charges that needs to be paid to the CIL, Sangma said, “The National Green Tribunal (NGT), in a recent order, put the minimum base price at Rs 4,850 per metric tonne. The bid value has to be more than Rs 4,850. We have to pay 10% of the bid value to the CIL.”
When Rangsakona MLA, Zenith Sangma sought more clarity, the CM said, “The process of coal auction has commenced and it is a lengthy one. The bidders will have to register in the portal and the details of the entire lot of coal will be given to the MSTC Limited which will put up the details for online bidding.”
The process has commenced and the first auction will be held in East Jaintia Hills, he added.
Of the total coal to be auctioned, 75,000 MT is in East Jaintia Hills, 50,000 MT in South Khasi Hills, 25,000 MT in South West Khasi Hills and 50,000 MT in South Garo Hills.
Based on the Supreme Court’s July 3 ruling, an NGT committee had, on a pilot basis, approved the auction of two lakh MT of the 32 lakh MT coal already extracted in the state.