NEW DELHI : The ruckus created by the Opposition over the missing files relating to allocation of coal blocks and the decision to create a separate state of Telangana today forced the adjournment of the Lok Sabha till noon.
As soon as the House met for Question Hour, members of the main Oppositon BJP rose up in their seats raising demands for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to come and answer over the missing files issue.
They were shouting slogans like ‘Bolo PM Bolo’ (speak up Prime Minister).
Some TDP and Congress members also came to the Well with placards reading ‘Save Andhra Pradesh’.
All appeals of Speaker Meira Kumar to the agitating members to go back to their seats went unheeded.
Sensing the defiant mood of the agitation, Ms Kumar adjourned the House within a few minutes.
The Opposition has blamed the government for concealing the truth and hiding important facts related to the coal block allocations.
The CAG has estimated a loss of Rs 1.86 lakh crore to the national exchequer due to the scam.
Union Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal had on August 17 admitted that some files related to the coal blocks allocation scam had gone missing. The Union Minister said the files between 1993 and 2004 are missing.
“Around 768 files have been submitted to the Coal Ministry. It is true that some files are missing. We are trying to recover these files from the other ministries,” Mr Jaiswal had said.
A committee headed by an Additional Secretary of the Ministry is inquiring into how the files have gone missing. It will also coordinate with other government departments for tracing their copies of the missing files, Mr Jaiswal said.
The CBI, on July 31, had said at least five crucial files related to allotment of coal blocks during 2006-09 have not been received by it despite providing specific details.
The CBI has so far registered 13 cases related to block allotments during 2006-09 for alleged misrepresentation of facts by the beneficiaries while applying for the blocks.
In June, the Coal Ministry had constituted an Inter-ministerial panel to look into the issue of missing files. The panel has so far held one meeting.
Some time back, the Coal Ministry had informed a Parliamentary committee that it is trying to locate lost and missing files on coal blocks allocation in the wake of Supreme Court saying the Centre for not aiding CBI with documents in its probe.
(AGENCIES)
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