The ministry was hopeful of being able to resolve all inter-ministerial differences before the auction were to take place.
"The Environment Ministry has said that in-principle environment and forest clearances to mines to be auctioned cannot be accorded as it is legally not enforceable," a Coal Ministry official was quoted by the Economic Times.
Several issues besides environmental clearance have remained unresolved, leaving the auction in a limbo, reported the newspaper.
Coal Secretary S K Srivastava elaborated that some of the pending issues include disagreements over a benchmark floor price and offering of discounted prices to sectors like power.
"We are in touch with MoEF on whether there can be a thing like conceptually providing in-principle approval, which I feel may not be possible considering the processes which are to be involved.
"We are to still arrive at a final view but few of the ministries have said that blocks have to be given with clearances," said Srivastava.
