Why some companies are favoured in mineral allocation?: SC to Centre

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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned the Centre on why certain companies are always favoured in the allocation of mines and minerals which has resulted in creating 'monopoly' for them.
At the outset of proceedings in coal block allocation scam, a bench headed by Justice R.M. Lodha said the names of the companies in the list of coal allottees are same as those figuring in other cases pertaining to extraction of iron ore mines.
"Same companies are there in iron ore mines cases also which I heard earlier. You are creating monopoly in hands of certain companies. Same companies are there whether it is coal, iron ore or other resources," the bench, also comprising justices Madan B. Lokur and Kurian Joseph, said without naming the companies.
Attorney General G.E. Vahanvati, however, said that no rule was violated by the Centre while allocating coal blocks to companies. He submitted that coal blocks allocation is merely a letter of intent and does not confer any right to the companies over the natural resource which is decided by the state government.
Pushed on the backfoot by the Supreme Court on the various procedural infirmity in allocation, the AG submitted that decision of coal block allocation to companies is the first stage and firms get rights over coal only when they start mining for which they have to take various clearances.
"No right is created in favour of companies by allocating coal blocks. At the most it can be said that it is letter of intent," the AG said, adding that all procedure was followed in the allocations.