Amidst the ongoing controversy over the “missing files” related to the coalgate scam, CBI sleuths suspect that the “final” minutes of the crucial 26th Screening Committee meeting, held on May 1, 2005, may have been lost permanently.
The coal ministry in a letter to the CBI on August 7 informed the agency that the final minutes of the 26th screening committee meeting are not traceable in the records of the ministry. The 26th Screening Committee meeting that forms the basis of the coal block allocations are one of the 29 crucial files that the CBI is waiting to receive from the coal ministry.
Sources said, “The final minutes are also not available in the original files of the 26th SC meeting, which are in the custody of the CBI”. Recently slammed by the Supreme Court over the missing files related to the coal scam, the coal ministry, which is the custodian of the allocation related files, has now requested the Union ministry of power and steel to search and provide a copy of the final minutes, if available with them, sources added.
“The final minutes of the screening committee meeting are important to analyse the allocation criteria of coal blocks to private companies. In the absence of the original copy of the final minutes, the agency is not in a position to complete its probe in certain cases”, sources said. The Screening Committee is chaired by the secretary, coal ministry. It includes the secretaries of nine ministries having interests in coal, besides heads of various Public Sector Units (PSUs) and chief secretaries of coal-supplying states are also part of it. Sources further said, “The apex court has already directed the coal ministry to lodge complaint with the CBI if it fails to trace any documents, sought by the agency.”