The Ministry of Coal initiated the eighth round of the commercial coal mines auction, announcing the availability of 39 coal mines for bidding, confirmed officials.

"Today, Union Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi inaugurated the 8th round of commercial coal mines auction, offering a total of 39 coal blocks. Out of these, 35 coal blocks are up for bidding for the first time, while the remaining 4 were previously auctioned," stated Coal Mines Secretary Amrit Lal Meena in a statement to ANI.

Minister Pralhad Joshi, launching the auction virtually, expressed intentions to eliminate coal imports by 2025-26. He also emphasized plans to ramp up underground coal mining (UG) output to reach 100 million tonnes (MT) by 2030, employing mass production technology.

These coal mines span across coal-rich regions in states such as Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Bihar, as disclosed by the Ministry of Coal.

The auction includes mines under the CMSP Act and MMDR Act. Among the 39 mines, four mines are part of the 2nd attempt from the 7th round under the CMSP/MMDR Act, initially receiving single bids in the prior attempt.

In the 8th round, 16 mines are newly introduced, while 19 are carried over from previous tranches.

Officials highlighted the Ministry of Coal's implementation of various reforms to bolster the rapid growth of the coal sector, aligning it with the increasing energy demand in the country.

For the current round, certain coal mines situated in protected areas, wildlife sanctuaries, critical habitats, areas with forest cover exceeding 40%, and densely populated zones have been excluded from the auction.

Moreover, the block boundaries of some coal mines, primarily those amidst dense habitation, substantial green cover, and critical infrastructure, have been altered to expedite the mines' development.

Secretary Amrit Lal Meena mentioned the significant contributions of captive/commercial coal mines to overall production. He underscored the thorough surveys conducted before offering the 39 mines for auction and emphasized efforts to enhance rail connectivity for efficient coal evacuation from the mines.