Sources said had the CBI started looking into the main aspect of the coalgate scam, it would have required the questioning of key functionaries, both in the PMO and the coal ministry, since the ministry had at least on three occasions written to the PMO that the coal blocks should be allocated through an “open and transparent auction” rather than given by a screening committee.
In fact, the man who first mooted this proposal, former coal secretary P.C. Parikh, talking exclusively to this newspaper, said: “I had written to the PMO way back in 2004 that coal blocks should be given through an auction. But the policy has been implemented now in 2012 and till date not even a single coal block has been allocated through auction. The government lost lot of money by giving coal mines using the existing system.”
A top government functionary also argued that the CBI perhaps needs to look again at the line of investigation it is following. “What the CBI is doing is putting the cart before the horse as instead of focusing on the main case it is looking into a much smaller aspect. We hope the CBI is not trying to shield anyone since the matter is under the overall supervision of the CVC,” a senior official said.
Criticising the system of giving coal blocks through a screening committee, Mr Parikh said the committee was always under tremendous pressure from MPs, state governments, ministries and other players to allot coal blocks. “Any system which is based on a subjective decision is open to pulls and pressures, and this is precisely what happened,” he remarked.
He claimed delay was caused at various levels in government to ensure that the existing scheme of giving coal blocks continued. Some key ministries, and even state governments, did not send responses to the Cabinet note on the issue due to which 155 coal blocks were given between 2006 and 2009, causing the public exchequer a loss, he said, adding this is precisely the case the CBI needs to probe.