Citing lower price of coal in market this year in view of Covid-19, State Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Kumar Mallik has urged the Centre to suspend the coal block auction process for the time being.
In a letter to Union Coal and Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi, Mallik has urged him to direct the officials to defer the auction process for three months.When there is an improvement in the pandemic situation and market becomes suitable, the coal block allocation process can kick-start, the letter stated. Mallik said that as the pandemic has affected minerals trade, the price of coal has come down significantly as compared to last year. If the auction is held in this scenario, the Government might not be able to get a better price.
