"CIL is trying to involve BEML which has manufacturing ability. It has also initiated talks with the company regarding its participation in the joint venture to revive MAMC. That company has shown interest," N C Jha, director (technical), CIL, said.

CIL and Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) had jointly proposed to acquire and revive MAMC. The PSUs had approached the West Bengal government with a revival proposal for the closed unit.

Jha said CIL, which has also sounded the union coal ministry on its proposal, would discuss the draft MoU about participation in the JV with DVC at the company''s board meeting scheduled to be held on May 11.

The state government had earlier asked CIL and DVC to get back to it after signing the MoU. Mr Jha said BEML would require technology if it joined the JV and in that case it would have to tie-up with a foreign company or a technology provider.

CIL chairman Partha S Bhattacharya said CIL was pursuing the revival of MAMC to get equipment required for underground mining, which was declared as a thrust area in the Eleventh Plan.

Equipment manufactured by MAMC earlier are still in use in some mines of CIL subsidiaries, he said.