Cong demands CBI probe into coal block allocation

Alleges national BJP leader’s kin got coal block at very low rate

Cites CAG report against govt, says state exchequer dented by Rs 1052 cr

Raipur, April 05, 2012

Congress on Thursday demanded CBI probe into Bhatgaon coal block allocation to one SMS Infrastructure Nagpur citing the CAG report which said the allocation was done at very low rate that eventually dented the state exchequer by Rs 1052 crore. “The CAG reports have exposed the corrupt face of the BJP government and now it is the ruling party’s turn to clarify his stand,” said PCC president Nandkumar Patel while talking to the media persons at Congress Bhawan.

“The coal block was actually allocated to Sancheti brothers (Ajay, Abhay and Anand) who are related to one national BJP leader. These are the same Sancheti brothers whose SMS Infrastructure that first deposited Rs 17.35 crore to the government pertaining to Durg bypass road construction and later the government returned the entire amount to it incurring massive revenue loss. This elucidates the ulterior motives of the government,” said Patel.

He categorically said that the Congress would not hesitate in moving to court seeking probe into coal block allocation matter if the Chief Minister would not ask the CBI to probe into it. “We want action against the guilty people and we will even launch offensive against the government into this matter,” he added.

“The mining scam in Chhattisgarh is bigger than that happened in Karnataka. We will soon inform about this to the Centre through AICC,” Patel said.

When pointed that the BJP had termed the CAG report fictitious, Patel said it could not as some of its own senior leaders including parliamentarians had shown full trust on CAG.

He said the CAG reports clarified that corruption prevailed in almost all the departments of the government. “The Energy department dented government exchequer by Rs 1700 crore. There is no trace of road worth Rs 4264 crore. These are revelations of CAG but the government has nothing to prove its stand,” he said.