New Delhi, Mar 27 (PTI) The government has auctioned 87 coal mines in three years which after becoming operational will generate an estimated revenue of Rs 33,200 crore and provide employment opportunities, an official statement said on Tuesday.

With a vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, the first-ever tranche of Commercial Coal Mine Auctions was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2020, the Coal Ministry said.

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The government amended the mineral laws to open up the coal sector to provide a level-playing field to the public & private sector players and to permit auction of coal mines without any restriction on end use – coal from these mines can be utilized towards own consumption, sale or for any other purpose, it said.

"Within a span of less than three years, six tranches of auctions have been concluded successfully and 87 coal mines have been auctioned. These mines are estimated to generate revenue of around Rs 33,200 crores and to provide employment to about three lakhs persons," the ministry said.

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On Wednesday, the ministry will put on the block 106 coal mines, launching the seventh round of commercial auctions.

It will also be signing the agreements for the 28 coal mines auctioned under the sixth round of auctions.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)