New Delhi: Former coal secretary PC Parekh has said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should be named as an accused in the coal blocks allocation case since he was the charge of the coal ministry during part of the period. Parekh’s remarks came after he and Industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla was yesterday booked by CBI on charges of criminal conspiracy and corruption in connection with alleged irregularities in the allocation of two coal blocks eight years back. “I have not taken any wrong decision (on the allocation of coal blocks). If I am wrong, others who are involved too are wrong, Parekh said to channel.
Parakh said,There is absolutely nothing wrong with the decision. It was a very fair and correct decision that we took. I don’t know why CBI thought that there is a conspiracy and that allocation of coal blocks to Hindalco was a conspiracy then the PM should be also named as an accused since he approved the allocation. If CBI thinks that there is a conspiracy then why did they chose and select Mr. Birla and me and why not PM,” Parekh asked. CBI is probing alleged irregularities in the allocation of 192 coal blocks which were made between 1993 and 2011. The agency has registered three preliminary enquiries relating to allocations between 2006 and 09, allocations between 1993 and 2004 and allocations given to joint ventures. So far, the agency has registered 14 FIRs arising out of its preliminary enquiries covering allocations between 2006 and 09.
Bureau Report
Leave a Reply