File charges in 6 Coalgate cases: SC

New Delhi: The SC on Monday directed the CBI to file chargesheet in six cases relating to irregular allotment of coal blocks in which it has completed its probe. A bench of Justices R M Lodha, Madan B Lokur and Kurian Joseph gave the agency three weeks to file the reports.

The CBI, in its FIR, had alleged that JLD Yavatmal, to reinforce its claim for a block, had fraudulently claimed in its application that it was jointly promoted, controlled and managed by the Lokmat group and IDFC Ltd.

‘CBI can probe PSUs sans state nod’
New Delhi: The Supreme Court wants the CBI to file charges in six Coalgate cases. The CBI had filed an FIR alleging that JLD Yavatmal had fraudulently claimed to be promoted by the Lokmat group and IDFC Limited. While stating its net worth, it had allegedly added IDFC’s net worth of Rs 2,544.19 crore and the Lokmat group’s Rs 73.38 crore to its figures. The agency had said in its FIR that JLD Yavatmal would not have otherwise qualified for coal blocks. The company got coal blocks in Fatehpur east (Chhattisgarh).

The Jayaswal brothers — Manoj and Arvind — were named by the CBI in its FIR relating to the allocation of coal block which allegedly fructified after AMR Iron and Steel concealed and misrepresented facts that its group firms were already allocated coal blocks and that it was financially eligible to get the block.

The bench also asked the agency to wind up its investigations, which it has been monitoring for over a year, by April 30 and gave it a free hand to conduct probe against public sector undertakings in states. The court told the agency that it need not seek statutory consent of states to investigate PSUs located in their geographical jurisdiction. The CBI had informed the court that as many as nine states had refused consent in this regard.

When the court wanted to know the reason for the delay in the completion of investigation, senior advocate Amarendra Saran told it that the agency was awaiting response from various countries where letters rogatory had been sent. Saran said out of 169 companies under probe, field inquiry against 149 had been completed. However, in relation to one preliminary enquiry (PE-5) involving the role of 75 state and central PSUs in coal allocation, the CBI claimed that several states had refused to accord sanction to prosecute their officers. Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act requires the CBI to take prior sanction of the state/Centre to prosecute senior public servants.

As the court is monitoring the case, the bench directed the CBI not to await states’ consent.

Addl director appointment sparks row A controversy has erupted over the appointment of an additional director in CBI after the Centre and the Central Vigilance Commission(CVC) locked horns over the choice of an officer whose track record was under question.

The row centred around Archana Ramasundaram, who was appointed as additional director last week, after the CVC refused to send more than one name for the post. Sources in the government said that the Appointments' Committee of Cabinet (ACC) had asked for names from CVC, which decided to send only one name for the post despite receiving a panel of names of three officers from the DoPT. AGENCIES
Courtesy:
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
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Ministerial panel recommends 26 coal blocks for deallocation

The coal ministry had last month served a fresh notice to allottees of 61 blocks that had not yet been developed

New Delhi: The inter ministerial panel looking into the status of development of captive coal blocks to private power and steel companies has recommended that 26 more such blocks be taken back.

A person in direct knowledge of the matter said this after the second day of the panel’s latest round of meetings. The panel reviewed 61 blocks on Friday and Saturday.

This person who did not want to be identified, however, did not specify which blocks were recommended for deallocation or which companies they had been allotted to.

The coal ministry had last month served a fresh notice to allottees of 61 blocks that had not yet been developed. The companies had been asked to revert by the first week of February.
These coal blocks were among those that were allocated between 1993 and 2010, and are being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as part of a Supreme Court-monitored probe.

CBI started probing allocations of coal mines after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, the government auditor, published a report in 2012 estimating a notional loss of Rs.1.86 trillion to the exchequer because of a flawed allocation process.
These 61 blocks were the ones in which either the first stage of environment clearances had not been obtained or which had not been explored or had only been partially explored at the time of allocation.

As per procedure, the panel’s recommendations are sent to the coal minister, who has to sign off on them before they take effect. The minister is, however, not bound by the recommendations.
In its 17 January notice, the coal ministry had said that such blocks would be taken back. The notice said that in case a block holder fails to furnish information by these dates, the ministry would take “appropriate decision based on the available information and material on record”.

Prominent allottees whose blocks were under review included Tata Steel Ltd, Tata Sponge Iron Ltd, Tata Power Co. Ltd, Jayaswal Neco Ltd, Jindal Steel and Power Ltd, Reliance Energy Ltd, Ultratech Ltd, Rungta Mines Ltd, Essar Power Ltd, Hindustan Zinc Ltd, Hindalco Industries Ltd, DB Power Ltd, Adani Power Ltd, Arcelor Mittal Ltd, GVK Power (Govindwal Sahib) Ltd, Bhushan Power & Steel Ltd, Monnet Ispat & Energy, Sterlite Energy Ltd, GMR Energy Ltd, Usha Martin Ltd, JSW Steel Ltd, Jaiprakash Associates Ltd, ACC Cement Ltd, Uttam Galva Steels Ltd, Adhunik Corp. Ltd and SKS Ispat and Power Ltd.
Courtesy:
Aman Malik
First Published: Sat, Feb 08 2014. 05 23 PM IST
http://www.livemint.com/Politics/rwO4JoVgnLGwlpaa9oGT8O/Ministerial-panel-recommends-26-coal-blocks-for-deallocation.html

Coalgate: CBI’s chargesheet may not cite loss figure

New Delhi: While the Comptroller and Auditor General had claimed that alleged irregularities in coal block allocations caused a loss of Rs 1.86 lakh crore to the exchequer, the CBI is unlikely to mention any loss figure in its first set of chargesheets to be filed soon.

According to sources, the agency will restrict its chargesheets to explaining how there were misrepresentation of facts, tweaking of norms and undue favours shown to private companies while allocating captive coal blocks.

Agency officials said the Supreme Court would also be informed about the chargesheets on the next hearing on March 10 but there would be no mention of loss in the status report as well. A senior officer said, “We have not been asked so far to look into the losses.”

Officials said it was found that work was either not started in some of the captive coal blocks or mining was done for purposes other than mentioned in the applications.

Sources said the agency’s FIRs were in individual cases and losses in all coal block allocations between 2004 and 2009 and 1993 to 2004 and a wider probe may take time.

The agency has concluded investigations in six cases in the coal block allocation scam and chargesheets will be filed against companies including AMR Iron and Steel, JLD Yavatmal Energy, JAS Infrastructure, Navbharat Power and a few others, said sources. Officials said investigations were over and the CBI director was expected to give final approval on the chargesheets soon.

The chargesheets will be filed on allocations between 2006 and 2009, in which the agency had registered the first set of FIRs in 2012.

The CBI, in its next status report to the apex court, will also inform about close to 40 allocations since 1993 in which it did not find any irregularities, sources said.

CBI sources said their investigation into three private companies — AMR, JLD and JAS — and three others were complete after interrogation of several persons, collection of documents from the companies and various ministries. The agency had claimed in the past that the allocations were dubious and were done in connivance with government officials.

Choppergate: Tyagi kin quizzed again
New Delhi: Aiming to complete the probe soon and dwelling on the fresh evidence provided by European middleman Guido Hashcke, the CBI has reportedly started fresh questioning of former IAF chief S P Tyagi’s cousins in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal. Haschke had recently claimed in Italy that he had paid money to them. Sources said the agency had recently questioned Sanjeev alias Julie, Rajeev alias Docsa and Sandeep in connection with Haschke’s claims. TNN
Courtesy:
Neeraj Chauhan TNN
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Coalgate: CBI gives SC a 'Birla diary' showing 'payments' to politicians

The CBI, probing the coal blocks allotment scandal, has handed over to the Supreme Court a "diary" it recovered from the offices of the Aditya Birla Group that lists an estimated 1,000 payments purportedly made to politicians and MPs of several parties by a Birla company trust over a 10-year period.

This diary was recovered during the agency's October 16 raids on the offices of the group following its FIR alleging corruption in the allotment of Talabira block to Hindalco. This recovery was detailed by the CBI in its status report to the apex court.

The dates on which these payments have been made, sources said, are around the time of two Lok Sabha elections and several elections of state Assemblies. The CBI has handed over this diary to the Supreme Court and is awaiting directions.

Another diary, being described as a "notebook," recovered by investigators of the Income Tax Department, shows receipts adding up to almost Rs 100 crore and top CBDT (Central Board of Direct Taxes) sources have confirmed to The Indian Express that the Birla group has agreed to pay taxes on these receipts.

Responding to a detailed query on these diaries by the investigating agencies, the Birla company spokesperson told The Indian Express: "Since there is an ongoing investigation into this matter, it would not be appropriate for us to comment.''

Sources said that while the CBI searched the offices of the group in four cities, the Income Tax Department was called in to help in the recovery of Rs 25 crore in cash from the group's corporate office in New Delhi.

Simultaneously, the Income Tax investigation wing confronted officials of the Aditya Birla group with another "notebook'' listing receipts totalling almost Rs 100 crore. This "notebook" was recovered by IT investigators from the same address where they found the Rs 25-crore cash and, significantly, this amount is understood to be part of the listed receipts.

Following the recovery of cash, the company issued a statement saying it is "taken aback by the discovery of cash at one of its offices by the investigating agency. It has taken a very serious view of the matter...''

Sources said the IT Department has already approached the CBI with a request for a copy of the "political'' diary to establish whether the purported payments to politicians and MPs have been declared by the company or whether they have claimed tax exemption for the same.

Officials said the CBI has since asked IT authorities to approach the Supreme Court for the diary. A formal request from IT is expected to reach the Supreme Court by early next week.

Diary, Notebook
*One lists estimated 1,000 payments purportedly made to politicians and MPs of several parties by a Birla company trust over a 10-year period

*Another shows receipts adding to Rs 100 crore

*Birla group said to have agreed to pay taxes for these

*IT wants copy of 'political' diary

*Spokesman: "Since there is an ongoing investigation into this matter, it would not be appropriate for us to comment.''
Courtesy
Ritu Sarin : New Delhi, Fri Dec 06 2013, 08:42 hrs
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/coalgate-cbi-gives-sc-a-birla-diary-showing-payments-to-politicians/1203974/0