The Odisha Government has admitted to have made 42 recommendations to the Centre for allocation of 45 coal blocks to private companies. The Center had allocated 17 coal blocks to 14 companies of the total recommendations. Making a statement in the Odisha Legislative Assembly while initiating a debate on an adjournment motion on the coal issue moved by the opposition Congress Party, Steel and Mines Minister of Odisha, Rajani Kant Singh, said his department had made 14 recommendations for coal block allocation in favour of 16 companies and one state public sector undertaking during 2001-02 to 2011-12. The Industries Department recommended names of two companies for coal blocks in 2007.

The statement of Odisha's Steel and Mines Minister is significant as Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik recently stated that the Odisha Government had been asking for an auction based system for allocation of coal and other minerals contrary to his minister's remark.

The adjournment motion will be taken up for full discussion today in the state ass