Coal Scam: All coal blocks awarded after 1993 illegal: Panel

Cancel Mining Where Work Is Still To Start

New Delhi: All coal blocks distributed between 1993 and 2008 were done in an unauthorized manner and the allotment of all mines where production is still to start should be cancelled,the standing committee on coal and steel has said in its report slated to be tabled in Parliament on Tuesday.

The panel,headed by Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee,has also recommended that all personnel who have been involved directly or indirectly in the allocation process should be investigated for their role.

The report has argued that there was no transparency in the allocation process and the exchequer did not get any revenue from the allocations.It further observed that the distribution between 1993 and 2004 had been done without any public information or advertisements being put out. It said though information was put up on the government website for allotments from 2004 to 2008,there was still a lack of transparency since there was no bidding and the government did not get any revenue.

Sources told TOI the panel could not get any information from any quarter on either the quantity or the value of coal produced till date from the allotted blocks.It is surprising that nobody seems to have the information.

How can you believe that With so many blocks,one can imagine the money that would be at stake, it said.The panel steered clear of taking a position on the CAGs report on the allocations.But its line of argument is similar to the tone of the CAG report,tabled in Parliament last year,which said the Centre gave away benefit of Rs 1.86 lakh crore to private entities by awarding blocks without bidding.

COMMITTEE SUGGESTIONS
All coal block allocations from 1993 till 08 unauthorized Mines where production is yet to start should be cancelled All personnel who have been involved in allocation should be investigated No transparency in allocations Exchequer did not get any revenue from allocations Allocations between 1993 and 2004 were done without advertising or public information For allotments between 2004 and 2008,information was put up on govt website but there was still a lack of transparency since there was no bidding Govt did not get any revenue No information available from any quarter on either the quantity or the value of coal produced to date from the allotted blocks

Ashwani not to quit over scam
The government on Monday rejected the oppositions demand for the resignation of law minister Ashwani Kumar over allegations that he had tried to influence the CBIs status report on the coal block scam probe,submitted to the Supreme Court.I dont think that is a relevant demand, parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath said,adding that the CBI had said it had not been pressured.P 12
Courtesy:
Sanjay Dutta & Mohua Chatterjee TNN
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