The government on Monday said that 10 companies, including NALCO, Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC) and NLC India, submitted bids for coal mines put up for sale under the eighth round of commercial mines auction.

“Under the eighth round, a total of 35 coal mines were put up for auction, and seven bids were received against four coal mines. Under the second attempt of the seventh round, four coal mines were put up for auction, and three bids have been received against three coal mines,” the Coal Ministry said in a statement.

Other companies from which the bids were received are TANGEDCO, OCL Iron and Steel Ltd, JMS Mining, Shyam SEL & Power Ltd, SMN Tradecomm, Maa Durga Coal and Minerals and Nilkanth Infra Mining.

The bids will be evaluated by a multi-disciplinary technical evaluation committee, and technically qualified bidders will be shortlisted for participating in the auction to be conducted on MSTC portal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in 2020 launched the auction of 41 coal blocks for commercial mining, a move that had opened India’s coal sector to private players.