Coalgate: Beneficiary co got block WITHOUT revised MoU

Information acquired Right to Information activist Mahendra Yadav, has revealed that JAS Infrastructure Capital Pvt Ltd, one of the five companies against whom the Central Bureau of Investigation had registered first information reports, had acquired the coal blocks without signing a revised Memorandum of Understanding.

The company is setting up the first private sector thermal plant in Bihar's Banka district.

The RTI has revealed that as per the MoU, the state-owned Bihar State Electricity Board could purchase power up to a maximum 25 per cent from the proposed power plant under the terms of an agreement.

"But in case of Public Sector National Thermal Power Corporation's proposed power plant, the Bihar government had demanded 50 per cent power," he said.

Yadav said that documents of the meeting of State Investment Promotion Board in July 2007 also revealed that in the March 2007, the SIBP had approved JAS' proposed 1, 215 MW power plant.

It was also approved by the State Cabinet in March 2008. But later on JAS' request, the SIPB has given the approval to set up a 2,640 MW power plant in place of 1, 215 MW."

"It was all done without signing a revised MoU," Yadav said.

JAS is part of the Nagpur-based Abhijeet Group which is promoted and headed by Manoj Jayaswal, who hit the headlines after the CBI named him along with others in FIRs registered on Monday in connection with the allocation of coal blocks.

Leaders of Bihar's ruling alliance Janata Dal-United and Bharatiya Janata Party of NDA are reluctant to say anything on the issue. Even the concerned government officials are mum on the subject.

Last month, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi had claimed that JAS' promoted power plant will become operational by April 2014. The first unit of (4X640MW) thermal power plant, situated near Bausa block in Banka, is under construction, he said.