Competition Commission rejects complaint against Coal India in spot e-auction scheme

Fair trade regulator CCI rejected allegations of anti-competitive practices on Friday, made against state-owned CIL with respect to spot e-auction of coal.

Rejecting the complaint, Competition Commission of India (CCI) said none of the terms cited in the complaint with regard to the spot e-auction scheme of coal "appears to be unfair or discriminatory". The complaint was filed against Coal India (CIL) and its subsidiary Central Coalfields.

It was alleged that there have been contraventions of competition norms with respect to sale of non-coking coal through the scheme. "On a careful examination of the impugned terms, the commission notes that such broadside omnibus challenge to the terms of the special spot e-auction scheme without specifying in any manner as to how the same are contrary to provisions of Section 4 of the (Competition) Act, cannot be sustained," CCI noted.

Section 4 relates to abuse of dominant market position.

Coal India had come under the lens of CCI for anti- competitive practices on earlier occasions.