In a counter-offensive against the BJP on the coal block allocation scam, the government on Thursday made public letters written to the Centre by the BJP and other non-Congress chief ministers strongly opposing any changeover to auction of coal mines.
Senior minister Kapil Sibal released letters from then BJP chief minister Vasundhara Raje of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan and chief secretaries of BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh and CPI(M)-ruled West Bengal to argue that the states had a say in the allocation of coal mines and the blame was being put on the Centre.
In a letter to the PM in 2005, Ms Vasundhara Raje wrote that changing the allocation policy to auction would take away the state’s prerogative in favour of the lessee. She requested that the existing practice of allocation through screening committee should continue. Mr Sibal said her letter clearly showed that the states had a say in the selection of lessees.