The Indian government has framed a scheme to offer funds to the technical and consultancy arm of State miner Coal India Limited (CIL) to expand exploration activities so that more fully explored coal blocks could be put up for auction for bidding by private miners.
Under the scheme, Central Mines Planning and Design Institute Limited (CMPDIL), the technical arm of CIL, would receive an estimated $175-million over the next two financial years, as the first tranche to enable it to expand exploration of new blocks and to offer exploration data for more blocks to be put up for auction.