SC to hear fresh petition on coal block allocation
15 Nov 2012 6:29 AM IST
The Supreme Court is likely to hear a fresh petition on the controversial allocation of coal blocks next week.
The petition, filed by NGO ‘Common Cause’ and six prominent citizens, including ex-cabinet secretary TSR Subramanian, ex-chief election commissioner N Gopalaswami and former Navy chiefs RH Tahiliani and L Ramdas, demands cancellation of the allocation of coal blocks to private companies between the years 1993 and 2012 and seeks a thorough court-monitored investigation into the said allocation by the CBI or a Special Investigative Team (SIT).
‘The CBI investigation at the instance of the Central Vigilance Commission is partial and does not cover the full magnitude of the scam,’ says the petition.
The Common Cause, in its petition, has said the central government went in for massive allocation of the scarce natural resource to a few select private companies at no cost in a completely arbitrary and non-transparent manner, causing huge loss to public exchequer.
‘While the sword of the introduction of competitive bidding was kept hanging, captive coal blocks were allotted to companies/cronies at breakneck speed, many of whom were not even eligible or had no real need of coal, and most of whom had links with politicians or ministers,’ says the PIL.
The PIL says that ‘the petitioners have prayed for a thorough court monitored investigation through an SIT to unearth the full magnitude of the coal scam, which involves not only to the ministry of coal but also to the PMO, ministry of steel, ministry of power and governments of various states where the coal blocks are located.’
The petition, filed by NGO ‘Common Cause’ and six prominent citizens, including ex-cabinet secretary TSR Subramanian, ex-chief election commissioner N Gopalaswami and former Navy chiefs RH Tahiliani and L Ramdas, demands cancellation of the allocation of coal blocks to private companies between the years 1993 and 2012 and seeks a thorough court-monitored investigation into the said allocation by the CBI or a Special Investigative Team (SIT).
‘The CBI investigation at the instance of the Central Vigilance Commission is partial and does not cover the full magnitude of the scam,’ says the petition.
The Common Cause, in its petition, has said the central government went in for massive allocation of the scarce natural resource to a few select private companies at no cost in a completely arbitrary and non-transparent manner, causing huge loss to public exchequer.
‘While the sword of the introduction of competitive bidding was kept hanging, captive coal blocks were allotted to companies/cronies at breakneck speed, many of whom were not even eligible or had no real need of coal, and most of whom had links with politicians or ministers,’ says the PIL.
The PIL says that ‘the petitioners have prayed for a thorough court monitored investigation through an SIT to unearth the full magnitude of the coal scam, which involves not only to the ministry of coal but also to the PMO, ministry of steel, ministry of power and governments of various states where the coal blocks are located.’
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