Efforts on to trace missing files; will be found: V Narayanasamy

NEW DELHI: Hitting out at BJP for stalling Parliament over missing coal block allocation files, Union Minister V Narayanasamy today said government was making efforts to trace them and they will be found.

"It is not the case of missing files. The files need to be traced. The (Coal) Ministry has to find out. They are looking into it. They (Ministry) will find out. But BJP is playing politics on it," Narayanasamy told reporters here on the sidelines of a function.

Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal had on Saturday said some files related to coal block allocations were missing.

Following Jaiswal's remarks, BJP has targeted the government and paralysed Parliament over the issue and demanded a statement by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Narayanasamy, Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office, rejected the opposition's demand for a statement by the Prime Minister, saying the Coal Minister has already made a statement that Coal Ministry has assigned an Additional Secretary level officer to look into the issue of missing files.

"How can Prime Minister come and speak on it? These are ten year old files. They (Coal Ministry) are working on it," he said.

Narayanasamy said BJP was "playing politics" on the matter as they want to stop passage of key legislations like Food Security Bill and Land Acquisition Bill among others in Parliament.

"We are ready to talk on this (missing files issue). BJP wants to stop the Food Security Bill and Land Acquisition Bill (from being passed in Parliament)," the Minister said.

Key legislations including Food Security Bill and land Acquisition Bill are pending in the Parliament.

Narayanassamy said the government was committed to passing the Food Security Bill in the monsoon session of Parliament.

"It is the commitment of our government to pass Food Security Bill as early as possible. The opposition has stalled it, but still we are trying to pass the Bill in this session," he added.