SAIL seeks surface rights of BCCL's mine in Jharkhand.

Steel Authority of India Ltd. has requested the government to direct CIL arm Bharat Coking Coal to transfer the surface rights of its coal mine in Jharkhand to the steel PSU so that it can adhere to the committed schedule for development of the block by April next year.

Surface rights are the land owner's rights to the exterior or upper boundary of the land and other substances below it.

The development follows the Coal Ministry asking SAIL to deposit a bank guarantee of Rs. 57 lakh for delays in the development of Sitanala mine.

'In order to enable SAIL to adhere to the committed schedule for development of the block, we request you to kindly direct BCCL (Bharat Coking Coal Limited) to transfer the surface right of Sitanala block,' SAIL said in a letter to Joint Secretary in the Coal Ministry, Vivek Bhardwaj.

BS