Under intense pressure from the Opposition over missing coal block allocation files, the UPA Government has finally begun to act.
Trying to do some damage control, Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal informed Rajya Sabha on Friday that of the 43 missing files, 21 have already been submitted to the CBI and 15 more are available to be handed over to the agency. But seven files are still missing. Amidst slogan shouting and uproar by TDP members against the proposed bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, Jaiswal read a statement admitting that of 19 applications three have been made available to the CBI while remaining 16 applications along with 157 applications of private companies, who had applied prior to June 26, 2004 but could not be allocated, are ‘still being searched.’
About missing documents other than files, the Minister said six have been supplied to CBI, two are available for handing over while nine others are being searched. Moreover, the clarifications sought in nine cases would be made available to CBI shortly, he said. The Ministry has sent a detailed letter stating the latest status to the CBI on Thursday in response to the CBI’s letter of August 14, he said.
Dismissing reports that a large number of files relating to the coal scam were missing, Jaiswal said 497 files have already been handed over to CBI and only seven remained to be given. The balance is copies of applications and other documents. He also said that it is possible that many of these papers are available in records of various Ministries/ Departments and other Government bodies associated with the coal block allocations. Ministries of Power and Steel, Central Electricity Authority and Central Mine Planning and Design Institute limited are involved in the process.
The Inter Ministerial Committee constituted on July 11 has been given the mandate to examine and review non-availability of any file or document and suggest appropriate action for locating the same. The committee has held three meeting and asked the members to locate the copies of documents / applications in their respective organisations. “It is possible that some of these could be located and handed over to the CBI in the next few days,” he said. If the Government is finally unable to locate some papers, it will ensure that due investigations are carried out and guilty brought to book, Jaiswal assured the House.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien's efforts to suspend the two protesting TDP MPs YS Chaudhary and CM Ramesh were thwarted by AIADMK and Trinamool Congress Party. Failing to dissuade the MPs from slogan shouting so that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh could make an intervention on the subject, Kurien even threatened to invoke rule 255 to suspend them for a day for "grossly disorderly conduct."
However, when the Opposition did not favour harsh action against TDP MPs, Kurien said: "You want a clarification on the coal issue and the Prime Minister is here. You want the discussion, but do not want me to take any action against them. This is double standards." When his repeated threats and appeals failed to yield desired result, Kurien first adjourned the House for 30 minutes but when the situation remained unchanged after the House reassembled, he adjourned the House for the day.