PM must clarify on coal allotment: BJP

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Friday attempted to corner the government over coal block allocation by saying that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held the coal portfolio between 2006-09 and should clarify the government's position on the issue.

“More than 90 coal blocks with the coal reserve of 17 billion tonnes worth .`51 lakh crore were allotted to more than 140 private companies during 2006-2009. 2006 is important because that is when the prime minister became the coal minister,” said BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar and party MP Hansraj Ahir, who has been in the forefront of raising this issue over the past several months. Ahir told reporters here that he had written letters to the PM on this issue. In a letter dated November 18, 2010, Ahir said he had demanded a special audit by CAG into the coal allotments.

Asked if BJP was charging the PM with involvement in the alleged scam, Javadekar said “we are only making a statement of fact.” Ahir said that in 2008, the bill to auction coal mines was introduced and asked why allotments were done at a “breakneck speed” from 2006 to 2009.

BJP also sought to know the details of companies that didn’t start mining operations within the time limit, alleged selling and transfer of coal blocks by allottees, any probe into complaints of irregularities and the rush for allotment when the bill to adopt auction route was being considered.