Kolkata The inter-ministerial group on coal blocks will meet on November 5 and 6 to finalise the norms for allocation of 13 de-allocated coal blocks to private sector undertakings (PSUs), said coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal at the 38th Coal India (CIL) foundation day. On further deallocation of coal blocks from the private sector, Jaiswal said the IMG has recommended deallocating of 13 more blocks and it has gone for the law ministry’s comments, which could come any time this week. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) which formed an advisory committee comprising state-owned power sector chiefs, state power secretaries and former coal ministry officials had recommended the de-allocated blocks be divided into at least three categories and allocated to PSUs according to quality requirements, a PMO source told FE. CIL chairman S Narsing Rao had earlier said a considerable number of de-allocated blocks are supposed to come to CIL. If that happens, CIL will have to review its R25,400 crore capex plan for FY12 to FY17, a CIL official said. “The PMO has advised some of the leading PSUs having considerable cash reserves to augment five-year capex plan and submit draft investment plans to increase capacity. CIL has drawn a capex plan of R25,400 crore for the next five years and we have asked to increase it. CIL would need to start activities of land acquisition for securitisation of projects so that capex is increased,” Jaiwsal said. CIL currently has a cash reserve of R60,000 crore. Rao said the company is in process of estimating the increase in capex. But there were issues on the company’s capability to take up more newer projects, for which additional capex would be required, said an official. Jaiswal said after two consecutive stagnant years, CIL has bounced back on path of growth with dispatch rising 8.6% year-on-year. The dispatch rose to 253 million tonne in April-October period. Production is up 8.5% y-o-y and CIL has attained a capacity of loading 202 rakes a day against 180 rakes a day during the same period last fiscal. Till July 2011, CIL could load only 158 rakes a day. On the question of CIL coming out of International Coal Ventures, a special purpose vehicle of SAIL, NTPC, CIL, RINL and NMDC to acquire coal mines abroad Jaiswal said it is the CIL board which is supposed to decide after the expert committee formed by the ministry presents its view to the CIL board.