The Supreme Court Friday directed that the Nov. 9 e-auction of 34 coal blocks, including five in Jharkhand, shall be subject to its final order.
A bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian asked the Centre to inform the bidders that benefits of any nature to them will be provisional and subject to the orders of the apex court.
Attorney General KK Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, said no trees will be cut in the area.
On Nov. 4, the top court had said it intended to pass an order that any proposed mining block within the 50 kilometer radius of an eco-sensitive zone will not be e-auctioned for commercial purposes in Jharkhand.
Maintaining that it only wants to ensure "forests are not destroyed", the top court also said it was mulling over setting up of an expert committee to examine whether an area near the proposed mining sites in Jharkhand qualifies as eco-sensitive zone.
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