Coal scam whistle-blower asks PM to allot coal blocks to CIL

The coal-scam has taken an important turn as Central Bureau of Investigation has charge-sheeted former bureaucrat P C Parakh and industrialist Kumarmangalam Birla. The next big thing is to see that if the coal-blocks allotted, fraudulently, are cancelled or not either by Supreme Court or by the government as pre-emptive action. Hansraj Ahir, the whistle blower in the coal scam has written a letter about it to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh requesting him to help Coal India limited, a government-owned company, to get access coal mines given to private companies. 

To,                                                                                                                             

Dr Shri Manmohan Singh,

Hon’ble Prime Minister,

Government of India,

New Delhi.

Sub: Regarding the cancellation of the coal blocks allotted to the private companies and give to Coal India Limited.

Sir,

There have been allegations in the allotment of the coal blocks in the country to the private companies and there had been irregularities in whole of the process. There has been loot of the government treasure with lakhs of crores of rupees and the same has been endorsed by the different investigation agencies and the constitutional officers looking into the matter like CAG, CVC, CBI, Supreme Court of India and the inter ministerial group.

I have been writing regularly in the matter and demanding justice to the CIL. CIL is a government-owned, maharatna company and has been entitled for the excavation and supply of the coal in the country. The said company is starving for coal blocks and the lack of the coal blocks has created many problems before the company. Besides this, the SECL, NMDC and NCL are also facing the same problem.

Now the nation is facing shortage of the coal and we are forced to import the coal from foreign countries which is our failure. There are huge reserves of the coal in the country and we are spending huge amount on the import of the coal. CIL had been demanding coal blocks for long time and now the government and the coal ministry has come forward and allotted as many as 130 coal blocks which include the UG and UG + OC.

In the discussion with some of the retired officers of the CIL I have come to know that the coal blocks allotted to the CIL by the government are not profitable and the coal reserve in these blocks is very short. The good blocks are allotted to the private companies which have huge coal reserves and are easy to open. The CIL might find problems with these coal blocks it might also take time for the excavation of the coal, spending of huge revenue and less production.

The present officers of the CIL demanded to cancel the allotted huge number of coal blocks and give free hand to select handful of the coal blocks allotted to the private companies which can take the yearly coal production of the CIL to more than 600 million tonnes and can also increase in the near future. But it is necessary to cancel the good coal blocks allotted to the private companies. This can generate employment in the government sector and CIL need not curtail manpower.

I think the issue is a major one and there is need to look into the matter and take action to give instructions to the IMG to hold inquiry, cancel the coal blocks given to the private companies and allot them to the CIL. This can help to protect the CIL and maintain its name and dignity. Besides this, we can be saved from the job of importing coal despite being huge coal in the country. I think the issue is a major one and the government needs to take immediate steps.

I would like to reiterate and assure that if CIL is given 20 coal blocks allotted to the private companies the coal production of the CIL can increase by more than 100 million tonnes in the coming time. So, I want to request you to consider the seriousness of the matter and take action. Please keep me updated with the developments in the matter.

Thanking you!

Hansraj G Ahir