There is fresh trouble for UPA-2 as the Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday lodged a preliminary enquiry (PE) into the coalgate scam.
The Central Vigilance Commission had forwarded a complaint to the CBI on Wednesday regarding alleged largescale irregularities in allotment of coal blocks to both private players and public sector enterprises between 2006 and 2009.
The CBI will examine and identify the exact role of senior officials both in the ministry of coal and the Prime Minister’s Office since the coal ministry was under the Prime Minister from 2006 to 2009, sources said.
Further, there was difference of opinion between the coal ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office on whether the blocks should be given by a screening committee or through an open bid.
The role of a key PMO functionary, who had chaired crucial meetings deciding the policy on allotment of coal blocks, is expected to come under CBI scrutiny. There are allegations that the price of 1,700 crore metric tonne of coal, worth `51 lakh crores, was given almost free to private companies, will certainly be probed by the Central agency, sources said, adding the CBI will also take assistance of the Enforcement Directorate in this connection.
The CBI sleuths are also expected to examine why a substantially higher number of coal blocks were allocated between 2005 and 2009-24 in 2005; 53 in 2006; 52 in 2007, 24 in 2008 and 16 in 2009. These allotments in fact is the main bone of contention around which the entire case revolves.
Some of the documents with the agencies reveal that then coal secretary was of the “view that allocation of coal blocks should be through competitive bidding.”