Report on coal blocks allocation: Cong asks CM to resign

Raipur, April 24, 2013

Pointing towards parliamentary standing committee’s report on coal blocks allocation, Congress on Wednesday said the report confirmed that the BJP government was responsible for wrong allocation and hence chief minister Raman Singh must resign on moral grounds.

“It is the state government which gives recommendations for allocation of coal blocks and other mineral resources. The state government is also supposed to verify eligibility of the companies applying for coal block on the basis of latter’s industrial units established in the state. The BJP government, estimating political benefits and intending to do corruption, had evidently recommended those companies which had existence in state only on papers,” said state Congress president Nandkumar Patel and CLP leader Ravindra Choubey. 

“The BJP government had recommended over four dozen coal blocks to private players and public sector undertakings (PSUs). The parliamentary standing panel has accepted irregularities in allocation of majority of the coal blocks in Chhattisgarh,” they pointed.

They said the state government not made recommendations for ineligible private players but also handed over mining exploration and excavation jobs of cola blocks allocated to PSUs like Chhattisgarh mineral development corporation (CMDC) and state power company to industrial houses closes to top BJP leaders.

Indicating that state’s Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) too had disclosed grafts in coal blocks allocation, the duo asked the CM to tender his resignation moral grounds.