The central government had a tough time in the Supreme Court on Tuesday during the hearing on alleged irregularities in allocation of coal blocks. The apex court said that the stand of the government has been contradictory.
The court asked for details of 218 coal block allocations by the government and told Attorney General Attorney General G E Vahanvati to explain block wise allotment. It said that it wants complete clarity on the issue of allocations.
A bench comprising of Justice R M Lodha, Justice Madan B Lokur and Justice Kurian Joseph pulled up the central government for taking a stand contrary to its earlier position.
‘This affidavit filed yesterday (Monday) is contradictory to what you said earlier. On many issues the affidavit is either silent or says something else. You argued something but the documents say something else. Legality of coal block allocation has to be justified by you,’ said the bench.
Faced with the volley of fresh questions by the bench forced Vahanvati to seek adjournment for two more weeks to produce entire record of allotments. The Coal Ministry had earlier also sought time to place the records relating to identification and allocation of coal blocks and the government had on Monday filed its affidavit in the apex court on it.
The court, however, refused to adjourn the hearing, saying there is no guarantee that the ‘road block’ would get cleared on the next date of hearing. ‘If we pose question then you say the question has been raised for the first time. Giving time is no problem but the same situation might continue on next hearing also,’ the bench told the AG. It further said, ‘You proceed with the matter in your own way. We understand your predicament but you have to justify that the allocations are sustainable in law’.
The government, pursuant to the order of the apex court seeking answers that how coal blocks belonging to Coal India Limited (CIL) were allocated to private companies, had filed its affidavit on Monday stating various developments taking place since 1992 on coal block identification and allocation to private companies.
The court is hearing final arguments on Public Interest Litigations seeking cancellation of the allocation of coal blocks.
The court asked for details of 218 coal block allocations by the government and told Attorney General Attorney General G E Vahanvati to explain block wise allotment. It said that it wants complete clarity on the issue of allocations.
A bench comprising of Justice R M Lodha, Justice Madan B Lokur and Justice Kurian Joseph pulled up the central government for taking a stand contrary to its earlier position.
‘This affidavit filed yesterday (Monday) is contradictory to what you said earlier. On many issues the affidavit is either silent or says something else. You argued something but the documents say something else. Legality of coal block allocation has to be justified by you,’ said the bench.
Faced with the volley of fresh questions by the bench forced Vahanvati to seek adjournment for two more weeks to produce entire record of allotments. The Coal Ministry had earlier also sought time to place the records relating to identification and allocation of coal blocks and the government had on Monday filed its affidavit in the apex court on it.
The court, however, refused to adjourn the hearing, saying there is no guarantee that the ‘road block’ would get cleared on the next date of hearing. ‘If we pose question then you say the question has been raised for the first time. Giving time is no problem but the same situation might continue on next hearing also,’ the bench told the AG. It further said, ‘You proceed with the matter in your own way. We understand your predicament but you have to justify that the allocations are sustainable in law’.
The government, pursuant to the order of the apex court seeking answers that how coal blocks belonging to Coal India Limited (CIL) were allocated to private companies, had filed its affidavit on Monday stating various developments taking place since 1992 on coal block identification and allocation to private companies.
The court is hearing final arguments on Public Interest Litigations seeking cancellation of the allocation of coal blocks.