Tara Coal Block Auctioned, Mining Yet to Begin Without Statutory Clearances

The Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation (CMDC) on Saturday said the competitive auction of the Tara Coal Block in the Hasdeo-Arand region has been completed, but actual mining can begin only after the successful bidder obtains all required statutory approvals.

The block was awarded to CG Syn & Gas and Chemicals Limited, one of nine bidders, the state-run corporation said in a statement.

The CMDC said the successful bidder will have to obtain an approved mining plan, mining lease, environmental clearance and forest clearance, besides other prescribed approvals, before commencing mining operations. It said no tree felling or actual mining activity can take place before the requisite statutory approvals are obtained.

The corporation said the forest clearance process would have to be completed and the project’s environmental impact assessed according to prescribed norms.

The Tara Coal Block was allocated to the CMDC in 2011, but the allocation was subsequently cancelled following a Supreme Court order, according to the corporation.

The CMDC said the process of coal block allocation and mining in the Hasdeo-Arand region had been underway for several years. It cited the Parsa East Kete Basan (PEKB) block, which was allocated to meet the power generation requirements of Rajasthan Raj Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited.

The corporation cited an ICFRE scientific study assessing biodiversity, wildlife, catchment areas and environmental sensitivity in Hasdeo-Arand. According to CMDC, the study identified Tara and certain other blocks as potentially suitable for mining subject to environmental safeguards and conservation measures.

The Press Information Bureau said the Tara block was excluded from the seventh tranche of commercial coal auctions in 2023 after the state government requested that Hasdeo-Arand blocks be kept out of commercial auctions. Blocks overlapping the Lemru Elephant Corridor were not offered in subsequent tranches.

A December 11, 2025 letter from the state government sought inclusion of Tara in an upcoming auction, stating that it was outside the Lemru Elephant Corridor. The PIB said the block was subsequently offered in the 15th round after removing the corridor’s influence zone and was successfully auctioned.