BJP rejects Union minister V Narayanswami's statement on coal extraction

ITANAGAR: BJP today rejected the press statement of Union Minister of state in the PMO V Narayanswami regarding extraction of coal from Namchik-Namphuk coal block and termed it as 'ridiculous, presumptive and misleading'.

"If there was no scam, then as to why did the Union Ministry of Coal on May 15, 2012 write to the Coal Controller for suspension and stoppage of coal production from Namchik Namphuk? Why did Alok Perti, secretary, ministry of coal on May 15 in a letter to Chief Secretary direct him to stop mining in Namchik-Namphuk coal block immediately,? the Arunachal Pradesh unit of the party questioned in a statement issued today.

Narayansami during a press conference here on September 12 last claimed that there was no violation of the Coal Mines (Nationalization) Act, 1973, during extraction and marketing of coal in Arunachal Pradesh.

The party also demanded a white paper on the present status of the establishment of thermal power plants in the state besides the entire facts about coal mining.

BJP national general secretary Tapir Gao in a press conference last week alleged that the Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh was violating guidelines in extracting coal from the Namchik-Namphuk coal block in Changlang district in connivance with a coal company.