NEW DELHI, Oct 17: Asserting that the government has nothing to hide, Minister of State for Prime Minister’s Office V Narayanasamy today said coal blocks were allocated to public and private sector companies on the basis of recommendations of states.
“As far as the government is concerned, we have made it very clear that the allocation of coal blocks have been made to public sector undertakings and also to some of the private sector on the recommendation of the state governments,” he told reporters here.
The chief secretaries of respective state governments, where coal blocks are available, are members of the committee. “The committee has cleared it (coal blocks allocation),” the Minister said.
From the government side, we have nothing to hide. We have done it in very transparent manner, he said.
Narayanasamy, however, refrained from commenting on the accusations of former Coal Secretary P C Parakh, accused in one of the cases, against Prime Minister for taking final decision on coal blocks allocation.
“There is a matter which is being investigated by the CBI. CBI has filed the FIR. They are investigating the matter. The Supreme Court is also monitoring the case. Of course, from government side, whatever possible information has to be given, we have given it to them.
“I do not want to go on any individual making any observation. The matter is prejudice. I cannot make any observation,” he said.
On CBI booking industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla and Parakh, Narayanasamy, whose ministry is dealing with CBI on administrative matters, said, “I do not want to go into merits of anything”.
“Some of my colleagues also made some observation. The kind of trend is coming is not good for the country. That much alone I can say,” the Minister said.
CBI had two days back registered a case against Parakh and Birla on charges of criminal conspiracy and corruption in connection with alleged irregularities in the allocation of two coal blocks.
Parakh dubbed as “baseless” the allegations levelled against him by the CBI.
“But, if there is a conspiracy, then there are different members in this conspiracy. There is K M Birla who made the representation, he is one conspirator. I, who examined the case and made a recommendation, I can be another conspirator and the Prime Minister, who as the Coal Minister, took the final decision, is the third conspirator.
“So, if the CBI thinks there is a conspiracy, why did they choose and select Mr Birla and me and not the PM. If conspiracy is there, then everyone is part of the conspiracy,” he had said.
When asked about the role of Prime Minister as alleged by Parakh, Narayanasamy refused to make any comment.
The CVC, which exercises superintendence over CBI to oversee probe in corruption cases, had in May last year asked the agency to look into the matter of coal blocks allocated to private companies between 2006 and 2009.
The CBI is looking into the allocation of coal mines post-1993 to ascertain any wrongdoing during the NDA regime. The agency has registered 14 FIRs so far in the case. (PTI)
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