Chhattisgarh government 'mislead' coal block allocation committee: Congress

RAIPUR: The Opposition Congress in Chhattisgarh has alleged that the state government "mislead" the coal block allocation committee by making "wrong recommendations".
Highlighting the BJP's "double standards", state unit Congress president Nand Kumar Patel today said the Chhattisgarh government and coal department headed by Chief Minister Raman Singh recommended companies which did not fulfil the eligibility criteria for allocation of coal blocks.
"By making wrong recommendations, the block allocation committee was mislead," Patel alleged, adding that a probe would bring to light the true facts on the issue.

"The BJP state government recommended companies which had no unit in the state, or they were just on paper, he alleged.

He claimed that the BJP government recommended the companies which moved an application based on their false association with some big companies.

"Now, Chief Minister Raman Singh cannot shy away from his answerability in the irregularities in coal blocks allocation," the Congress leader said.

The companies recommended by the state government also included the Navbharat Coal Fields Limited, owned by V K Singh, the father of state BJP leader Neena Singh. The government recommended the Madanpur north block for it, despite the company having no business in the state, Patel mentioned.

After being allocated the coal block, Navbharat Coal Fields sold 75 per cent of its share to Nagpur-based Solar Explosives Limited, he alleged.

Patel said these allegations against the state government were not superficial, but were based on proper facts and evidences registered in the state administrative documents.

He demanded that the state government make public its letters written to the Centre for coal blocks allocation.

Patel demanded that the chief minister should take moral responsibility for the irregularities in the Bhatgaon coal block extension and resign.