The CBI on Monday questioned former Coal Minister Dasari Narayana Rao in connection with alleged irregularities in allocation of Odisha-based Talabira-II coal block to Hindalco in which Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla and former Coal Secretary PC Parakh are named as accused.
Rao was summoned to the CBI headquarters on Monday morning and quizzed about the allocation of the coal block Aditya Birla Group Company, Hindalco despite same having been already allocated by the Screening Committee to Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) Neyveli lignite limited.Rao, a Congress MP from Andhra Pradesh, was Minister of State for Coal between 2004 and 2006 and in his second term from 2006 to 2008.
While CBI is likely to question Parakh this week as the agency has examined top executives of the Group company in connection with the allocation. However, a decision to summon Birla is yet to be taken, agency sources said.
In its FIR, the CBI has named Birla, Parakh, Hindalco and unknown officials of the Group company besides unknown officials of Coal Ministry for criminal conspiracy, cheating and corruption.