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WIDENING PROBE<br />
CBI to investigate all coal<br />
panies<br />
a teeter 'So,<br />
written by seven partianaenrariana<br />
atthoetgh the<br />
2004 be netmbcr <strong>of</strong> block<br />
investigated.<br />
allocations on<br />
greta-party led United Progreaaive<br />
Alliance<br />
dunn <strong>of</strong> anonymity, Withtn<br />
demanding an <strong>Investigation</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> all coal block we wilt register a fresh many an In the<br />
a lutocks altpcated nay tled be<br />
That would cover the coal'<br />
as <strong>of</strong> non-performance and<br />
(UPA) have week,<br />
atlocatiotis<br />
fields allocated<br />
later period, the could<br />
in 1998-2004, been under<br />
cancel the allocations <strong>of</strong><br />
scrutinysince the<br />
ainee<br />
PE (preliminat-y enquiry)<br />
0993 to the when<br />
and level nf processing was not<br />
the Bharari an as<br />
ya<br />
many as six others.<br />
Janala Party-ltd<br />
National Democratic period. It basis<br />
Comptroller and Auditor on the<br />
General<br />
start<br />
CR!.<br />
investigation. This wit' go leigh aa in the later<br />
Alliance<br />
<strong>of</strong> recommends tions<br />
oilntlta said in are portreleased<br />
side by<br />
Ott 5 September, the<br />
aide with the current was only Congress<br />
party lok<br />
after Ihe<br />
(NDA)<br />
Electrictly<br />
was in power,<br />
made by an<br />
in August that auclialorations<br />
had<br />
osinistetial<br />
investlgation into seven<br />
Sabba members<br />
iii-<br />
(first information reports)<br />
FIRs Ace<strong>of</strong> 2tttta that lice<br />
and in 1996'O$, when power eec, group (IMG) that a coali<br />
is looking<br />
caused lie<br />
Sandeep Dikshie, Hatish tion called the registeted<br />
'or caw private sector interest, tab<br />
United Front<br />
lie isaste.<br />
tional exrhequerabaa <strong>of</strong> lBe<br />
Chaudhttry, tavneet us iii ens) Shagta,<br />
altocalons<br />
tnade berseeen 20{16<br />
Coal proresa too have gone<br />
culed the country, The<br />
op The IMG is set to fleet again<br />
Con' teillron.<br />
ChOudttary t,at Singts, Manicka<br />
and only etnce then,'<br />
gross party lost the<br />
he eaid.<br />
1996<br />
In the second week <strong>of</strong> October<br />
general<br />
We have received a lelter 2009<br />
Tagore and Raghuvir Singh<br />
A<br />
election and returned to from the<br />
Meena weote to the eve rod nitnistry <strong>of</strong>ficial,<br />
to decide on tha fate <strong>of</strong> blocks<br />
IMoladay)<br />
and P<br />
the Another CRC <strong>of</strong>lictal tntle speaking ott rondinon <strong>of</strong> 'no allotted to<br />
2004.<br />
aakitg us to probe<br />
goveromeot'owned<br />
allocation pendensty conftxnteci the<br />
coal ministry thai<br />
de nymily, said that<br />
'locks Coat block a copy <strong>of</strong> the<br />
-<br />
otnpan<br />
allocations<br />
its where no develop'<br />
made <strong>of</strong> coal block a since 1993, a veiopment.<br />
allotted<br />
letter had beet,<br />
between 1993<br />
forwarded to itletit has<br />
and doritag tOte rule<br />
taken<br />
oF the Con senior Cl3l <strong>of</strong>ficial so far.<br />
said on con<br />
Jr appears that there were the miniatry, which, in turn, sa/lil.m@s/ivemiet,cora<br />
many cases 0! malpractice<br />
while allocating coat blocks<br />
' been sent to the eve on 19<br />
September.<br />
betweetu 1993 to 2004, Funher, According to information<br />
Inmany cases whecc join teentestes<br />
available on the coalministry's<br />
have been furrne d beeween<br />
website, between 0 August<br />
block allocations rorporat'<br />
1993 and 6 December 2005 69<br />
since 1993<br />
ona and private parties coal blocks were allocated.<br />
there It informaeionthat many On 4 September the Cot<br />
<strong>of</strong> these were done through favours<br />
booked rates against five com-<br />
lot isepected irregular-<br />
to certain parties and<br />
under 1>5)11 teat pressure and ities in tho conteoreraisi at location<br />
The agency says at<br />
least 50 additlonal<br />
<strong>of</strong> dial blocks and con-<br />
due diligencewat nor followed<br />
in selection <strong>of</strong> partners by<br />
raids in II cities. On 22<br />
state government corporaejotta,'<br />
September, the agency registered<br />
companies could be<br />
the letter written by the<br />
Congress<br />
partiansenearian cases against Iwo more<br />
cornpnies,<br />
probed as part <strong>of</strong><br />
aaid. 'Ct, therefore,<br />
appears Cases <strong>of</strong> criminal conspiracy<br />
the investigation<br />
that alt coal blocks allotted sod cheating had been rs'gisrere<br />
since 1993 thosttd be investigated<br />
d against Viol Iron and<br />
by the specially Steel tidyogLid, lasinfrastruc<br />
CIII<br />
looking<br />
By SAHIL MAKKAR &<br />
lure Capital Psi.<br />
at<br />
AMAN MALIK<br />
Liii, AMR iron<br />
iyatenia<br />
through<br />
The govt has<br />
and Steels Psa.<br />
New tiTList<br />
wlttrh state<br />
Ltd. Ill) Yavat.<br />
Tie <strong>Central</strong> <strong>Bureau</strong> <strong>of</strong> governmenle<br />
In..<br />
cancelled at least<br />
ssextigaoion (Cal). which<br />
selected private<br />
otnpa-<br />
block allocations op Power Fyl. Lid,<br />
7 mal itotergy Lid,<br />
Navahba,ai<br />
is probing alleged irregularities<br />
in oh c atlocacithi <strong>of</strong><br />
nice whose<br />
aunit<strong>of</strong>the Es<br />
coal blocks to private names<br />
co{atpaniet<br />
they grounds <strong>of</strong><br />
tar Group,<br />
between 200g and 2009<br />
fonearded to<br />
non-performance Grace lodus<br />
said it would extendoheinvestigatinn<br />
govecnnaene<br />
tries and Vikash<br />
<strong>of</strong> India.'<br />
Metal and<br />
to companies that<br />
have been allotied blocks<br />
They alleged<br />
Power Ltd. The<br />
that starting in 1993.<br />
ova were among compsole a<br />
aotnr companies<br />
The CDI said at least 50 additional<br />
companies could be<br />
presanre during 2006.09, when ttrime<br />
may have been favoured undet that were allotted coal blocks<br />
political<br />
-<br />
probed as pare <strong>of</strong> the widened<br />
Arvittd Mahalan, aparinera Minister Manmohan Singh<br />
iits/esolgatlon.<br />
tcI'MG itt India, saul the perceptlon<br />
also held charge <strong>of</strong> the coat<br />
The decision follows the Under<br />
Is that the lark SCuthr.<br />
ol rflinlstty<br />
AceordtnQ to infoomoijon toooifoble on tho cool nit strys'enile, (i<br />
<strong>Central</strong> Vigilance coat Macb were<br />
Commisason allocated between 10 Attguoi<br />
(cVC) transparency was higher in the Ttae g<br />
December 20(15.<br />
overntnent has already<br />
earlier on Monday forwarding<br />
period <strong>of</strong> allocation. cancelled at least seven coal
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Arrested IT Officer Colluded With.<br />
AbhishekVerma To Buy Goa Property<br />
CBI finds web <strong>of</strong> cos through which Verma holds a beneficial interest in Nitya Resorts<br />
in Mumbai, along with arms deal According to a person familiar agency already knew most <strong>of</strong> the<br />
SRUTHIJITH KIC<br />
- er Suresh Nanda, his son Sanjeev withthe investigation, the CIII has details in Allen's communications.<br />
NEW DELHI<br />
LL-.iLi Nanda, and their chartered ac now found a web <strong>of</strong> companies in Ashutosh Verma, the I-T <strong>of</strong>ficial,<br />
A senior income-tax department countant Bipin Shah. Verma was Delhi Kolkata and Agra through was introduced to Edmonds Allen<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficer, arrested by the <strong>Central</strong> Bwr b.andllng the Income-Tax depart which, Ashotosh Verma holds aby Abhishek. Ashutosh Verma<br />
reau <strong>of</strong> <strong>Investigation</strong> in 2008 foral ment's case against the Nandas, beneficial interest in a company wanted to setup a company in the<br />
legedly accepting a bribe from who were at the time being probed TalledNltya ResortsPvtLtd,which US as a subsidiary <strong>of</strong> the Indian<br />
arms dealer Suresh Nanda, used by the CIII for bribing government owns a large beachfront plot in company Geiper Consultmg FyI<br />
his links with jailed defence agent <strong>of</strong>ficials and accepting commis Morjlm, Goa, estimated to be now Ltd to help the latteravoid tax. His<br />
Abhishek Verma toset upacompa slons in the sale <strong>of</strong> Barak missiles worth more than !15 crore. Verma wifePallavi Verma andfatherRam<br />
ny overseas and used a network <strong>of</strong> and Armoured Recovery Vehicles alsopurchaseda2-bedroomviilajn Naval Verma are 100% shareholcompanies<br />
to invest in property in to India. cm intercepted phone Goa in the name <strong>of</strong> his father, the ders in Gelper Consulting, a<br />
Goa, a person familiar with the in conversations that led them to be personsaid.! knowledge process outsourcmg<br />
vestigation said.<br />
-. lieve that Verma was being bribed Many <strong>of</strong><br />
- .<br />
Verma's buslneEg*tt4r company, accordmg to filings with<br />
Armed with the breakthrough in by the Nandas to fudge entries in—ests were revealed by New YoFk the Registrar <strong>of</strong> Companies.<br />
the four-year-old case, this person their books that were in the IT de based attorney c Edmon4s Allen; A trail <strong>of</strong> email exchanges besaid<br />
the agency Is now moving to partment's possession. the erstwhile_business<br />
- -<br />
partner <strong>of</strong> tweenAshutosh, Abhlshek and Alfile<br />
a charge sheet. Earlier this Out on bail after spending eight jailed defence agentAbhlshekVer len show that Ashutosh wanted<br />
month, the to<br />
CBI sought the finance months in jail in 2008, Ashutosh ma. The dossiers <strong>of</strong> evidence sent set up aUS subsidiary for Geiper<br />
mInistry' sanction to prosecute Vermawas reinstatedtoser-vice as by Allen to! Indian authorities Consultinginordertoavoidpaylng<br />
Ashutosh Verma, a joint cominis the CIII failed to file a chargesheet helped Initiate a CIII probe against a highamount<strong>of</strong> taxfor remunerasionerin<br />
theI-Tdepartment, in the case. The agency could nel Abhishek Verma on charges <strong>of</strong> tion paid to the company's agent,<br />
Verma, a 1999-batch Indian Reve ther establish a money frail nor forgery bribing <strong>of</strong> a public <strong>of</strong>ficial one Sanjay Pant, in the US, and<br />
nueService<strong>of</strong>ficer, wasarrested in discover where Verma had parked and violation <strong>of</strong> the Official Se route business to theIndian entity<br />
March2008 from.1W MarriotHotel the alleged bribe. crets Act. A CIII <strong>of</strong>ficial said the through the US firm.
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THE ASHOK AGGARWAL<br />
SAGA MOVES ON<br />
The IRS <strong>of</strong>ficer Äshok Aggarwal first made die newspaper<br />
headlines in 1999 with the arrest <strong>of</strong> the arms dealer<br />
and jet-setting Delbi socialite Abhishek Verma, i son <strong>of</strong><br />
the Raiya Sabhci MP Veena Varma, for tryiig ta trap a<br />
Delhi jeweller Subhash Barjatya in a Forelgn Exchange<br />
Regulation Act case. Allegedly Aggarwal bad attempted<br />
to extort Rs 10 million from one <strong>of</strong> die owners <strong>of</strong> Dabur<br />
Industries. A Dabur owner had videotaped Aggarwal's<br />
men collecting the money.<br />
In 2002, after die finance rhinistry sonctioned Agarwal'<br />
prosecution, die CRI charged hirn in two cases. In the<br />
first, Aggarwal faces allegations In a FERA case <strong>of</strong> being<br />
part <strong>of</strong> a criminal conspiracytblackmail Barjatya on the<br />
basis <strong>of</strong> forged Swiss Bank documents. In tbc second, die<br />
CRI alleged that the IRS <strong>of</strong>ficer had arnassed disproportionate<br />
assefl to the tune <strong>of</strong> Rs<br />
1 2.04 crore. In die case,<br />
die CBI bus alleged that the accused <strong>of</strong>ficial entered into<br />
o crirninal conspiracy with bis twa brothers and some chartered<br />
accountants and amassed huge wealih und assets<br />
dlspropgrtionate to his known sources <strong>of</strong> income.<br />
The CRI has alleged that Aggarwal Inested In properties<br />
In Ghazidbad, Bahadurgarh and die World Trade<br />
Centre in the capital in die name <strong>of</strong> bis wife und created<br />
several trusts whose beneficiaries were bis minor children.<br />
The CRI had arrested Aggarwal an 19 October 2000<br />
along with bis brotber for allegedly omassing dispraportionate<br />
assets. He is alleged ta own about 20 apartments<br />
und bungalows in Delhi, at least twa comrnercial<br />
»<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice premises in die World Trade Tower, New Dcliii, und<br />
numerous other properties. Despite severat complalnts<br />
agaiS hirn, Aggarwal was appointed private secretaryby<br />
Rairam Singh Yadav, die minister for mines in die 1' V<br />
Narasimha Rao government.
-A'<br />
Probe coal block-allocation<br />
-<br />
since 1993, CVC tells CBI<br />
j.<br />
- - - ing<br />
- -<br />
-:<br />
- - - -'.<br />
-<br />
NEW DELHI: The <strong>Central</strong>Vig-unknown<strong>of</strong>ficials <strong>of</strong> the mdiilanceCommission(CVC)on<br />
.. -_<br />
Mondayasked the CIII, prob<br />
-<br />
awarding licences for exploring<br />
coal block allocations<br />
-<br />
made during 2006-09, to ex<br />
_<br />
tend its investigations to cover<br />
all allocations made since<br />
- -<br />
an <strong>Bureau</strong> <strong>of</strong> Mines while<br />
minerals in the sea bed <strong>of</strong><br />
Bay <strong>of</strong> Bengal and Arabian<br />
, sea.<br />
Itis alleged that four benefi-<br />
: ciaries companies owned by<br />
1993,saidagencysources. .i' \'<br />
The country's top anti-cor<br />
' %: " the family members <strong>of</strong>an mdiruption<br />
authority had already - , "<br />
an Revenue Service<strong>of</strong>ficer are<br />
tasked the CBIwithprobe into : c also under the agency's scanthe<br />
allotment <strong>of</strong> coal blocks j -'<br />
- ncr as they bagged nearly half<br />
made between 2006 and<br />
<strong>of</strong><br />
-',--' ,<br />
the blocks despite lacking<br />
2009.<br />
-<br />
L<br />
, necessary qualification, they<br />
"The CVC asked that the<br />
said.<br />
agency investigate the system estimated undue benefits <strong>of</strong> The sources said in March<br />
adopted bystategovernments R5,1.86 lakh crore to private last year, the government, ina<br />
during allocation <strong>of</strong> coal firms due to allocation <strong>of</strong> coal first attempt to explore <strong>of</strong>fblocks.<br />
The criteriaand select blocks without auction. shore mineral wealth, had<br />
ed guidelinesfollowed during<br />
placed 62blocks on<strong>of</strong>fer out<strong>of</strong><br />
the allocation must be Probe in <strong>of</strong>fshore mining which 28, nearly half, were<br />
probed' a sourceadded. Meanwhile, the CBI has also bagged by companies owned<br />
The investigation agency begunprobing alleged irregu by family members <strong>of</strong> the forwas<br />
also asked to find out the larities in the country's firstr merEnforcement Directorate<br />
system put in place forselec ever attempt to explore un <strong>of</strong>ficial who had also served in<br />
tion <strong>of</strong> companies for coal tapped mineral wealth worth Mines Ministry.<br />
block al!ocation between 1993 thousands <strong>of</strong> crores lying in The final award <strong>of</strong> licences<br />
to 2006, whether these guide the deep sea bed, sensing an had been put on hold after aglines<br />
were followed and how other mega scam, grieved parties approached<br />
jointventure partners werese CBI sources said a prelimi the Bombay High Court and<br />
lected. nary enquiry has been regis the Andhra Pradesh High<br />
Official auditor, the Comp tered by the agency inconnec Court seeking their cancellatroller<br />
and Auditor General tion with the alleged favours tion.<br />
(CAG) had, in a recentreport, extended to the companies by Agencies
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CBI probes <strong>of</strong>fshore<br />
mining licence scam<br />
P11 .NewDeIhi<br />
Just a week afterfilingcases in<br />
coal block allocation scam,<br />
CBI has begim probing alleged<br />
irregularities inthe country's<br />
first-ever attempt toexplore<br />
untapped mineral wealth<br />
worth thousands <strong>of</strong>crores<br />
lying In the deep sea bed,<br />
sensing another megascam.
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Probe all coal block<br />
allotments since<br />
1993, CVC tells CBI:<br />
LENS ON NDA GOVT<br />
Directive after Jaiswal,<br />
7 MPswrotetoCVc<br />
ACliNG<br />
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE<br />
NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER24<br />
on a <strong>Central</strong> Vigilance Cornmission<br />
(CVC) reference, the CDI has<br />
decided to expand its probe into the<br />
alleged irregnlaritiesincoal blocks ãotment to<br />
include all allotmentsmade since 1993.<br />
The ongoing CDI probewasrestricted to allotments<br />
during2006-09. CDI <strong>of</strong>ficials said the<br />
agency would soon register a preliminaryenquiry<br />
(PE) on the CVC reference received<br />
Monday, and question government <strong>of</strong>ficials<br />
and privatefirms which got coal blocks.<br />
Last week,<br />
Coal Minister Sriprakash<br />
Jaiswalwrote tothe CVC seeking a CR1 probe<br />
into all coal blocks allotted since 1993 when<br />
the government began allotting blocks to pri-<br />
players for captive<br />
vate<br />
use.<br />
Jaiswal also recently forwarded a letter<br />
written by seven MPs to the CVC saying<br />
blocks allotted between 1993 and 2004 should<br />
be investigatedby the CBIas favours were atlegedlydone<br />
to private parties under political<br />
pressure.<br />
The MPs' letter also sought an inquiry into<br />
thesystem put inplace to select companies for<br />
allotment between 1993 and 2004 andwhether<br />
these guidelines were followed. The CVC<br />
Monday referred thecomplaintsto the CDI.<br />
The allotment <strong>of</strong> coal blocks for captive<br />
use started in 1993 to attract private investments<br />
in power, cement and steel to help a<br />
growing economy.<br />
"Till March 2011, the Ministry<strong>of</strong> Coal has<br />
allocated 194 coal blocks for captive mining<strong>of</strong><br />
which 142wereexploredblocks," the CAG said<br />
initsreport on the allotments.<br />
Arbitrary'grant <strong>of</strong><br />
62 <strong>of</strong>fshore mines"<br />
under scanner<br />
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE<br />
NEWDELHI, SEPTEMBER24<br />
SUSPECHNG serious irregularities,the CBI<br />
has registered a preliminary enquiry into the<br />
allotment <strong>of</strong>62<strong>of</strong>fhoremining blocksby theIndian<strong>Bureau</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> Mines(IBM) last year. The allotments<br />
made to 16 companies for grant <strong>of</strong><br />
the<strong>of</strong>fshore explorationlicenceswas donein an<br />
"arbitrary" manner by the IBM, says the FE<br />
registered lastFriday.<br />
The CBI suspects the 16companiesselected<br />
did not have the required technical capability<br />
and amajority<strong>of</strong>them wereregistered and incorporatedafterthe<br />
IBM issued its notificationfor<br />
allocation in June2010.The FE also alleges that<br />
there had been "cartelisation" inthe process.<br />
CBI <strong>of</strong>ficers said the cart elisationallegation<br />
referred to a group <strong>of</strong> five companies<br />
whichhadbagged 28 <strong>of</strong> the 62 oil exploration<br />
blocksandwere ownedbyimmediaterelatives<br />
<strong>of</strong>a suspendedIndian Revenue Service (IRS)<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficer against whom the CBI has registered<br />
othercases.<br />
"Many <strong>of</strong> the selected companies have<br />
shown themselves as a part <strong>of</strong> a group <strong>of</strong> companies<br />
promoted by the same directors and<br />
wereregisteredat the sameaddresswhich also<br />
points towards applicants having resorted to<br />
cartelisation to corner most <strong>of</strong> the exploration<br />
blocks," says the FE registered against unknown<br />
public servants <strong>of</strong> IBM and other unknown<br />
persons/companies.<br />
I1MINES SECRETARYJUMPS GUN ON GOA<br />
REPORT, IS SHOWN THE DOOR, PAGE 16
'Rahul case based on<br />
a non-existent claim'<br />
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE<br />
NEWDELHI, SEPTEMBER24<br />
CONGRESS leader Rahul<br />
Gandhi Monday told the SC<br />
that theallegation<strong>of</strong> hisrole in<br />
an abduction and rape case in<br />
Amethi was "sinister political<br />
mudslinging".<br />
"Itis a clëarcase <strong>of</strong>sinister<br />
political mudslinging and contempt<br />
<strong>of</strong> process<strong>of</strong>court. Such<br />
a petition deserves tobe dismissed<br />
with cost only and<br />
hencethe Allahabad I-ICorder<br />
imposing a cost on the petitionerwascorrect,"<br />
senior advocate<br />
PP Rao, appearing for<br />
Rahul,toldthecourt.<br />
Rao said the petitioner,<br />
formerSP MLAKishore Samrite,was<br />
neither afriend <strong>of</strong> the<br />
victimnoiarelative.<br />
Meanwhile, the UP government<br />
also filed its affidavit<br />
refuting Sanirite's charge that<br />
he had filed the case against<br />
Rahul at tk behest <strong>of</strong> CM<br />
Aichilesh Yadav and SPchief<br />
MulayamSingh Yadav.<br />
The allegation was not levelled<br />
before the HC and its<br />
"object was to scandalise the<br />
issuesoastogaincheappublicity<br />
and to advance his political<br />
objectives", the affidavit said.<br />
The CBI also adduced its<br />
report <strong>of</strong>its investigation,carried<br />
out as per the HC order.<br />
The CBI told thecourt that the<br />
case <strong>of</strong>alleged ifiegalconfinement<strong>of</strong><br />
thegirl and her parents<br />
was found tobe based on"nonexistent"<br />
claims since the<br />
names and addresses <strong>of</strong> these<br />
personswerefalse.<br />
The CBI also said Samrite's<br />
petition was funded by<br />
"some others". It said thewebsites<br />
which Samrite relied on<br />
forinformationontheincident<br />
and for filing his petition were<br />
located outside the geographicaltenitory<strong>of</strong>thecountiy.<br />
The court will continue to<br />
hearthe matter tomorrow.
CBI begins probe :<br />
into 'sea-bed miiiij<br />
press thast <strong>of</strong> India<br />
CM sources said a pre1iminiriinqijjrhabejj<br />
NEWDEWJ, 24 SEfl:Just aweek<br />
Aer filing cases in the coal block<br />
ilocation scam, the CBI has<br />
begun prthing alleged irregularilies<br />
in the country's first-ever<br />
attempt to explore untapped<br />
SneraFwSth worth thousands<br />
crorcs Iing in the deep sea.<br />
bed, sensinganother mega scam.<br />
Cs! sourcçs said a preliminary<br />
inquhy has been registered by<br />
the agency in connection with<br />
the alleged favours extended to<br />
the companies by the unknown<br />
Slicials <strong>of</strong> the Indian <strong>Bureau</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
limes while awarding licences<br />
fir exploring minerals in the sea<br />
bed <strong>of</strong> the Bay <strong>of</strong>Bengal and the<br />
Arabian Sea.<br />
It is alleged, hir benefidazies<br />
immpanies owned by the family<br />
members <strong>of</strong> an Indian Revenue<br />
StMce <strong>of</strong>ficer are also under the<br />
scanney as they bagged<br />
andy half <strong>of</strong> the blocks despite<br />
beking necessary qualification,<br />
they Slid.<br />
The sources said in March lasi<br />
tai the government, in a first<br />
*empt to expIoreohore mini<br />
aal wealth, had placed 62 blocks<br />
cm <strong>of</strong>lèr out <strong>of</strong> which 28, nearly<br />
halt were bagged by comjaI*s<br />
owned by-family members <strong>of</strong> the<br />
krmer Enforcement Dhtctojate<br />
.411d4 who had alsb'served hr<br />
1k Mines Ministzy.<br />
The final atrd<strong>of</strong>licenceshad<br />
ken put on hold after aggrieved<br />
parties approached Bombay<br />
High Court and Andhra Pradesh<br />
High Court seeking their cancellation.<br />
The companies allegedly<br />
owned by the son and the brotha<br />
<strong>of</strong> the <strong>of</strong>ficer are based at the<br />
same address on Kasturba<br />
Gandhi Marg In New Delhi, they<br />
said.<br />
were<br />
initiated by the agency in connectionwith the<br />
alleged favours extended to the companies by<br />
the unknown <strong>of</strong>ficials <strong>of</strong> the Indian <strong>Bureau</strong> <strong>of</strong>'<br />
Mines whileawarding licetices for exploring for<br />
minerals th the seabeds <strong>of</strong> the Bay<strong>of</strong> Bengal aid<br />
It is alleged that companies<br />
incwporated after bids<br />
were invited from the interes(ed<br />
parties willing to go fix exploration<br />
and thØ nothave any experience<br />
in SPshore mining at the<br />
time <strong>of</strong> notification. The .Cfll<br />
sources sal it is a matter <strong>of</strong><br />
probe how thesecompanies with<br />
suchalleged lacunae managed to<br />
scoreoverSal firms which were<br />
in fray for the lucrative contracts.<br />
According to sources, it has<br />
been alleged that at tle screening<br />
committee level, the companies'<br />
belongingto the kin <strong>of</strong> the <strong>of</strong>ficer<br />
scored much above the rival<br />
" Indian &ucau <strong>of</strong> Mines, th<br />
works under the Ministry <strong>of</strong><br />
theArabjansej<br />
Mines; had announced in March<br />
last tar the list <strong>of</strong> companies<br />
that had swm the bids <strong>of</strong> exploratidn<br />
<strong>of</strong> mineralwealth.<br />
Howevet the Nagpur Bench <strong>of</strong> - -<br />
Bombay High Court had stayed<br />
the exten Jon after accepting the<br />
plea <strong>of</strong> the Tamil Nadu-based<br />
company Rare (H) minerals.<br />
"Controller General, Indian<br />
<strong>Bureau</strong> <strong>of</strong> Mines, has issued a<br />
notification dated 7th June, 2010<br />
inviting applications r the grant<br />
<strong>of</strong> Exploration licence in the <strong>of</strong>fshore<br />
areas <strong>of</strong> the<br />
-<br />
country.<br />
Around 377 applications have<br />
been received in IBM for grant <strong>of</strong><br />
exploration licene,7 the Ministry<br />
<strong>of</strong> Mines had said in a statement<br />
last yeait The sources said that<br />
each block measuring about 800<br />
sq km is estimated to have huge<br />
unexplored mineralwealth in the<br />
sea bed <strong>of</strong> the Bay <strong>of</strong> Bengal and<br />
theArabianSca.<br />
A similar case is also going<br />
-<br />
on<br />
in Andhra Pradesh High Court<br />
after a company, Trimex Sands,<br />
challenged the award <strong>of</strong> exploratiOn<br />
licence.
Ccalgate: probe<br />
ambit expands<br />
CET to sean block allocations sinée 1993<br />
PBD BUREAU/PTI<br />
parties under political pressure. regionally explored or<br />
The letter <strong>of</strong> MPs also sought for<br />
-<br />
j.inexplored<br />
coal b!ocks,a Comptroller<br />
enquiry as to what system the and Auditor General has said in<br />
Government <strong>of</strong> India put in place its recent repQrt on coal block,<br />
for ielectibn <strong>of</strong> companies for coal allocation.<br />
-<br />
NEW DELHI, SEPT24<br />
block allocation between 1993 to<br />
2004 ançt whether these guidelines<br />
were followed and how were joint<br />
venture partners selected.<br />
ThE' CBI has decided to expand its<br />
\.,,probe into 'coalgate bringing under<br />
its scanner all coal block allocations<br />
made áince 1993 including the sixyear<br />
NDA rule after a reference in'<br />
this regard was received from the<br />
CVC today.<br />
The CVC today referred the<br />
complaints to the CBl to probe the<br />
qttei and the agency will soon<br />
begin its investigation on it, (ill<br />
sources said:<br />
The allocation <strong>of</strong> thai blocks to<br />
private companies for captive use<br />
Last week, Coal Minister Shri started in 1993 when Coal Mines<br />
Prakash Jaiswal 'wrote to<br />
(Ntionalisation) Act, 1973<br />
CePtral , Vigilance<br />
was amended with the<br />
Commission seeking a CBI<br />
-<br />
objective <strong>of</strong> attracting private!<br />
probe into all the coal<br />
investments !in sped-<br />
blocks allocated since 1993<br />
fled end uses such as power,<br />
when Government 'had<br />
cethent and steel because <strong>of</strong><br />
started allocation to private<br />
growingeconomy.<br />
players for captive<br />
In its ongoing<br />
use. Pag. 6<br />
probe, C<br />
Seeking<br />
- -<br />
has so far<br />
theCBI Offsbireminliig lkences. registered seven.<br />
probe; Jaiswal has rnnii under scanper._<br />
FIR against private<br />
also tecently for<br />
companies and<br />
Warded -a leUei written by seven<br />
- -<br />
unknown public '<strong>of</strong>ficials for<br />
$rliamentarians to the CVC saying<br />
that blocks allotted between !Till March 2011, the Ministry<br />
alleged misrepresentation <strong>of</strong> facts.<br />
1993 and 2004 includirik those <strong>of</strong> Coal has allocated 194 coal<br />
given during the NDA rule should blocks for captive mining <strong>of</strong><br />
be investigated by the CDI, as which 142 were explored blocks<br />
allegedly favours were done to 'and the balance 52 were either
"<br />
SajIanS<br />
questions<br />
witness's<br />
condütt<br />
PBD BUREAIJ,'T'D<br />
NEW DELHI, SE!T 24<br />
CDNGIkFSS leader Sajjan<br />
Kumathcingtriajina 1984<br />
anti-SUch riots case, tollay<br />
questioned the conduct <strong>of</strong><br />
the key witness and cón*<br />
pith tlflWcturt here that<br />
sh didrt tell an9 authority<br />
fti22 yearsaboufher not"<br />
having faith in the Delhi<br />
Police probe.<br />
Continuing the finaJ<br />
arguments. in the case,<br />
Kumars counsel RI Khan<br />
toldDistrict JudgeJRAiyan<br />
that complainant Jagdish<br />
Kaux, who had lost five <strong>of</strong><br />
herfamily members during<br />
the riots, first did çtot coop-.<br />
erate s1th the Delhi Polics<br />
probe for Over two decades<br />
and later, in 2006, she<br />
explained her non-cooperation<br />
as lack <strong>of</strong> faith in the<br />
probe agency'<br />
The Delhi police had<br />
earlier probed the riots<br />
'cases and the investigation<br />
was handed over to CBI in<br />
2(05.<br />
-<br />
"Summons were dent to<br />
Kaur in Punjab by the<br />
police i 2CO3 and 2004<br />
requesting her to join the<br />
probe and br recording <strong>of</strong><br />
her statement under 164<br />
CrPC but she refused to<br />
"cooperate.<br />
"After 22 years, in 2(06<br />
she had stated this for the<br />
firstthnebeforeCBlthatshehad<br />
it faith in the Delhi<br />
Rlice and that is why she<br />
had not cooperated with lis<br />
(police) prole7 Khan<br />
arguedXhan said Kaur had<br />
several ocrasions but never<br />
stated this fact before the<br />
Justice C T Nanavati and<br />
Justice Ranganath MWira<br />
Commissions and for the<br />
first time in 2(06 she said it<br />
in Cars <strong>of</strong>fice that she had<br />
no faitl1 in the police prnbe.
CIII stártsprobin<br />
<strong>of</strong>fshore th!nerái<br />
mining licences<br />
ABHISHEKSHIJKLA<br />
The companies allegedly<br />
NEW DELHI, SEPT24<br />
JUST a week after filing cses in<br />
coal block allocation scam, CBI<br />
owned by the son and brother<br />
<strong>of</strong> the <strong>of</strong>ficer are based at the<br />
same address on ICasturba<br />
Candhj Marg in the national<br />
capital, they said.<br />
has begun probing alleged It is alleged that companies<br />
irregularities in the country's<br />
first-ever attempt to explore<br />
untapped mineral wealth worth<br />
were incorporated after bids<br />
were invited from the interested<br />
parties ivilling to go for exploration<br />
and did not have any<br />
thousands <strong>of</strong> crores lying in the<br />
deep sea bed, sensing another experierce in <strong>of</strong>fshqre mining<br />
mega scam.<br />
CBI sourèes said a preliminary<br />
at the lime <strong>of</strong> notification.<br />
The CBI sources said it is a<br />
enquiry has been regis-<br />
matter <strong>of</strong> probe how these cor 1<br />
tered by the agency in corinection<br />
panies 'vyith such allged lawnae<br />
with the alleged favours<br />
extended over rival<br />
to the companies by firms which were in fray for the<br />
the unknown <strong>of</strong>ficials <strong>of</strong> the<br />
'Indian <strong>Bureau</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> Mines while<br />
lucrative contracts.<br />
So ut re es<br />
claimed it has<br />
awarding<br />
been alleged<br />
licences for<br />
that at screening<br />
exploring minerals<br />
in the sea<br />
level th com-<br />
committee<br />
becl'<strong>of</strong> Bay <strong>of</strong><br />
-<br />
panies<br />
belonging<br />
to the kin<br />
Bengal an4<br />
Arabian Sea.<br />
<strong>of</strong> 'the <strong>of</strong>ficer<br />
It is alleged<br />
scored much<br />
four beneficiaries<br />
companies<br />
above the rival<br />
firms<br />
owned by the<br />
.I n d ia n<br />
family members'<br />
<strong>Bureau</strong> -<strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> an Indian Revenue Mines, which<br />
Service <strong>of</strong>ficer are also under<br />
-works under - the<br />
Ministry <strong>of</strong> Mines, had<br />
the agency's scanner as they announced in March last year<br />
bagged nearly half <strong>of</strong> the blocks the list <strong>of</strong> companies that had<br />
despite lacking necessary qualification,<br />
they said,<br />
won the bids <strong>of</strong> exploration <strong>of</strong><br />
mineral wealth<br />
The sources said in Marchlast<br />
year Govemment, in a first <strong>of</strong> the Bombay High Court had<br />
However, the Nagur bench<br />
attempt to explore <strong>of</strong>fshore stayed the execution after<br />
mineral wealth, had placed 62 accepting the plea. <strong>of</strong> Tamil<br />
blocks on <strong>of</strong>fer out <strong>of</strong> which 28, Nadu based<br />
nearly half, were bagged (H)<br />
by' minerals.<br />
companies owned !y family "Controller GeneraL Indian<br />
members, <strong>of</strong> the former <strong>Bureau</strong> <strong>of</strong> Mines has, issued a<br />
Enforcement Directorate <strong>of</strong>ficial<br />
who had alscx served in Mines<br />
Ministry.<br />
The final award, <strong>of</strong> licenes<br />
notification dated 7th June, 2010<br />
inviting applications for the<br />
grant <strong>of</strong> Exploration Licence in<br />
the <strong>of</strong>fshore areas <strong>of</strong> the country.<br />
'had en,put on hold after<br />
377 applications have been<br />
aggrieved parties approached received in IBM for grant <strong>of</strong><br />
the Bombay High Courtand the exploratien licence, the<br />
Andhra Pradesh High Court<br />
seeking their cancellation,'<br />
iiL<br />
Ministry <strong>of</strong> Mines had said in a<br />
statement last year.<br />
-
Case against<br />
Rahul based on<br />
'non-existent'<br />
claims: CBI<br />
!BD BUREAU/PU<br />
NEW DELHi, SEPT24<br />
CDI today told the Supreme<br />
Court that the case <strong>of</strong> alleged<br />
illegal cbnfinemont <strong>of</strong> a girl in<br />
which Rahut Gandhi's name<br />
was dragged was found tq be<br />
based op non-existent claims.<br />
'Additional Solicitor General.<br />
l-aren RayaL who placed the<br />
status report <strong>of</strong> a Cifi probe in a<br />
sealed cove4<br />
said the address<br />
and naites <strong>of</strong> the persons,<br />
including that <strong>of</strong> the girt, were<br />
"non-existent".<br />
"On verification from-<br />
various<br />
government authorities, includdog<br />
the nagar panchâyaf and<br />
district food and civil supplier<br />
inspector, it was confirmed that<br />
there was no such address<br />
(mentionedin the writ petition)<br />
and there exists no record <strong>of</strong><br />
such persons existing," tie said.<br />
The agency also said that<br />
habeas corpus petition filed by<br />
On verifucatio, fron<br />
various government<br />
authorities. including the<br />
naga panchayat and dh<br />
trict food and civil supplies<br />
inspector, it was<br />
confirmed that there waS<br />
po such address anth<br />
there exists no record <strong>of</strong><br />
such persons existing,<br />
former Samajwacli l'arty MLA.<br />
from Madhya Pradesh Kishore.<br />
Samrite, seeking a direction.ir<br />
producing the girt and her parents,<br />
Was funded by 'some others<br />
and his statements have<br />
been recorded in this egard.<br />
CE! made these suhmissions<br />
before a bench comprising jus<br />
-<br />
tices PS çhauhan and Sthtanter<br />
Kuniar, which was hearing a<br />
pdtition filed by a Eormer MLA<br />
challenging Re 50 lakh fine<br />
imposed Sn him by the<br />
.<br />
Allahabad High Court for<br />
approaching it with these allegations.<br />
The High Court on March 7,<br />
2011 had also directed the CE!<br />
to register a case against<br />
Samrite and to find out<br />
-<br />
'as to.<br />
under what circumstances the<br />
P1 was filed.<br />
The apex court bench noted<br />
th't there were two identical<br />
petitions in the high Court and<br />
in both <strong>of</strong> them the petitioners<br />
were not the next friend or<br />
acquaintances <strong>of</strong> the victims<br />
family.<br />
He said another i4entical<br />
petition was 'filed in the High<br />
Court and<br />
-<br />
the police had located<br />
the persons named as.<br />
alleged victim, who had recorded<br />
theirstatement<br />
incident.<br />
-<br />
denying the
cgCPJoshi<br />
i". ,t I<br />
-<br />
,<br />
- .-<br />
takes additional éháigédf R4ilways<br />
Road Transport and Highways Minister CP joshi during a meebng --<br />
with<br />
RaiIay <strong>of</strong>fidal,<br />
in New Delhi —PT! Siom<br />
-<br />
PBD BUREAU<br />
Jcey infrastructure ministry<br />
NEW DELHI, SEPT24<br />
has returned to th Congress<br />
after-V long years.<br />
Works on railway ove;<br />
ROAD Transport bridges nd under bridges<br />
and Highways Mi will be expedited for safety<br />
nister Cl' Joshi on as well as faster movement<br />
Monday took addi <strong>of</strong>the trains across, the countiosl<br />
charge <strong>of</strong> the try Joshi said.<br />
railway ministryfol Joshi who is 'also Minilowing<br />
the exit <strong>of</strong> ster for Road Transport and<br />
Trinarjiool 'Con Highways took over addigress'<br />
Mukul Roy,<br />
Joshi is ML' from<br />
tional chare <strong>of</strong> the Ministry<br />
<strong>of</strong>Railways, here today<br />
I3hilwara 'I in He Wa Member oL Parl<br />
Rajasthai.<br />
iament from Bhilwara Lok<br />
Though<br />
': this is' Sabha Constituency in' Ra},<br />
only an additional asthan. Earlier he also held<br />
charge for Joshi, the<br />
the portfolio <strong>of</strong> Rural Dcv<br />
e1oiment & Panchaati Raj<br />
fri the Union Ministry. He<br />
took additional charge followingthe<br />
exit <strong>of</strong> Tnitiarnool<br />
Congress Mukul Roy.<br />
Thoub this i only an<br />
additional charge for Joshi,<br />
the key infrastructure<br />
ministry has returned to<br />
the Congress alter 17 long<br />
years. CIC Jaffer Sharief<br />
was the last railway ministefrom<br />
the Congres<br />
199-95).<br />
Aftrtaking charàe, Joshi<br />
jointh' met <strong>of</strong>ficials <strong>of</strong>R9ad<br />
Transport, Highways and<br />
Railways to expedite wprks<br />
on RoBs and RuBs.
Cong dOes not want<br />
truth to come out in<br />
oa1 allocations: BJP<br />
PBD BUREAU/PTI BJP today shid it has no réservations<br />
on the CVC's order<br />
NFW DEIRL, SEPT14<br />
aslcingCrntoprobecoalanocations<br />
1993 onwards and<br />
alleged.this was a 'delayirtg tactic" <strong>of</strong> Congress as it<br />
does not waIt truth to tome out.<br />
twe are not worded about theçvc asking the CW<br />
to probe coal block allocations froth 1993 as the NDA<br />
has nothing to hide. The issue here is who is bringing<br />
in the 1993 period and why. It is the Congress which<br />
has ben demanding this as it wants to4elay everything,<br />
BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekartold VU.<br />
The BJP spokesperson maintained that as per the<br />
Comptroller and Auditor Generél, 2004 is the benchmark<br />
for the new developments in coal mining. "The<br />
CAG has explained that global prices <strong>of</strong> coal<br />
increised phenomenally<br />
in 2004.<br />
Act, 2003<br />
The Electricity<br />
also increased<br />
coal prices as private players<br />
were allowed to participate<br />
in power generatioh.<br />
The UT'A Government decided 'Id 2004<br />
that there<br />
should be competitive bidding in coal mining,"<br />
Javadekar said.<br />
The flJP leader alleged that CBI is being "used,<br />
abused and misused" by the Government and this<br />
move is aimed at diverting attention from the scams<br />
and corruption <strong>of</strong> the UPA regime. "In 1993, a<br />
Congress Government was in power. Then governments<br />
<strong>of</strong> llCCujraland Deve Gowda, both supported<br />
by the Congress, came to power,' Javadekarsaid, reiterating<br />
thathis party has no issues with theperiod to<br />
be probed.<br />
'The point here is from when the issue should be<br />
investigated. You can eVen start<br />
°!p 1976 when<br />
Indira Gandhi nationalised coal miçiing or from the<br />
17thcentury when coal mining started. This Id just a<br />
delaying tactic," he added.
.<br />
Govt seeks more from SC in Salem case<br />
PBD BUREAU/I'll<br />
NEW DELHI. SEPT 24.<br />
INDIA is in toutñ with<br />
Portuguese authorities to<br />
chalk Dut the next course <strong>of</strong><br />
action in the Abu Salen-i case<br />
after the top court in Portugal<br />
upheld quashing <strong>of</strong> extradition<br />
<strong>of</strong> the gangster w-<br />
ho was brought nearly seven<br />
years back, the Supreme<br />
Court was informed today.<br />
Aearing before a<br />
bench headed by Justice P<br />
Sathasivam, Attorney General<br />
CE Vahanwati sought<br />
more time to decide on the<br />
action after a Portuguese<br />
court<br />
Salems<br />
terminated<br />
extraditibn<br />
on the ground that<br />
India had violated<br />
the provisions <strong>of</strong> the<br />
extradition treaty<br />
bench had<br />
The<br />
earlier asked the' C$I and<br />
the<br />
Ministry <strong>of</strong> External<br />
Affairs to file theirreplies to<br />
Salem's plea for quashing<br />
crimiral cases against him<br />
after termination <strong>of</strong> his<br />
extradition and also asked<br />
Attorney General assist it<br />
in deciding the case.<br />
Salem, currently lodged<br />
in Murnbafs Arthdr Road<br />
JaiL had filed the application<br />
in the apex court after<br />
the<br />
Portugal<br />
Supreme Court<br />
upheld the order <strong>of</strong> a<br />
lower court there.<br />
At the time <strong>of</strong><br />
Salems extradition,<br />
India had assured<br />
Portugal that no charges<br />
attracting death penalty or.<br />
imprisonment <strong>of</strong> more<br />
than 25 years would be<br />
pressed against him, but<br />
such charges were, laler<br />
roughtin. ,<br />
Delhi and Mumbai<br />
"<br />
Police had slapped charges<br />
which invoke death peialty<br />
against him leaving thegovernment<br />
and the Clii redfaced.
Coal block probe to include 1<br />
UnitedFront, NDA regimes<br />
fe <strong>Bureau</strong> Istry's advice, the <strong>Central</strong> ernrnents also for the a! 2009 tothe CBI.<br />
NewDeIhi,Sept24 / Vigilance Commission leged irregularities In the Out <strong>of</strong> these 195 coal<br />
THE<br />
(CVC) on Monday referred allocation<strong>of</strong> blocks, blocks referred by the CVC<br />
goverrnnent hasall these allocations to the Earlier, acting on a corn to the CM, around 40 coal<br />
widened the scope <strong>of</strong> CBI for probe. This is seen plaint by BJP MP Hansraj blocks were allocated durthe<br />
<strong>Central</strong> <strong>Bureau</strong> as a strategic rnove by the Ahir, the CVC had recorn ing the BJP-led NDA gov<strong>of</strong><strong>Investigation</strong>(CBJ)probe<br />
ruling coalition to shift rnended the allocations ernrnent between 1999 and<br />
into captive coalbiock allot blameto non-Congress gov rnade between 2006 and 2004. Companies such as<br />
mentbyincludingallalloca Jindal Steel and Power,<br />
dons rnade between 1993 Bhushan Power and Steel,<br />
GVK Power and Usha Mar-<br />
tin got coal blocks during<br />
the NDAregirne.<br />
"After receiving a letter<br />
from the coal ministry, the<br />
and 2009. This rneans that a<br />
total <strong>of</strong> 195 allocations will<br />
be probed by the agency<br />
against 64 currently under<br />
investigation and these in-<br />
dude allocations rnade CVC hasreferred the allocasince<br />
the PV Narasirnha tion <strong>of</strong> 195 captive coal<br />
Rao government and in- blocks made since 1993 to<br />
cluding the United Front<br />
and NDA governments, be-<br />
sidesUPA-! and IJPA-ll,<br />
the CBI. The CM wifi be<br />
probing irregularities in<br />
coal block allocations," a<br />
According to sources, coal ministry <strong>of</strong>ficial said.<br />
acting on the coal min- .Continued on Page2<br />
Coal block...<br />
C'There have beenanegations thatnotransparent<br />
method was followed in allocating captive coal<br />
blocksandfavours weregiven toprivatefirms.The<br />
CBI, already probIng 142companies that were a]locatedcoalblocks,wfflnowbepmbingancompajijes<br />
which have been allocatedcoal blocks since 1993,"<br />
the <strong>of</strong>ficer added.<br />
Against the backdrop <strong>of</strong>the Comptroll<br />
ditor General report that said that private compaflies<br />
madewind hilgains <strong>of</strong> tl.B6lalth ciorethrough<br />
allocation<strong>of</strong> captive mines between 2004 and 2009,<br />
theinter-ministerial group(1MG) headed bya coal<br />
ministry <strong>of</strong>ficial and with members from the finance,lawandpowerminjstrleslsreviewingthede.<br />
lay In development <strong>of</strong> coal blocks allocated to private<br />
firms. The 1MG has already recommended<br />
deallocation<strong>of</strong> l3blocksandhassougfitdecjuctlon<br />
<strong>of</strong> bank guaranteesIn the case<strong>of</strong> 14others.<br />
The CBI In its probe has already booked seven<br />
private firmsand theirdirectors for misrepresenting<br />
facts and fudging balance sheets to get coal<br />
blocks.
allocation <strong>of</strong><br />
___<br />
62 <strong>of</strong>fshore<br />
:miningblocks<br />
fe<strong>Bureau</strong><br />
New Deilli, Sep 24: After<br />
fihingaserles<strong>of</strong> cases lntbe<br />
coal blockallocation scam,<br />
thecBlhasnowbeentaske.J<br />
wlthunearthingallegedir.<br />
regularities in the alioca<br />
tion <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>fshore mining 11.<br />
censestoprivatefirms.<br />
The CBI has registered a<br />
preliminary enquiry into<br />
allocation <strong>of</strong> 62 <strong>of</strong>f-shore<br />
mineral blocks in the sea<br />
attempt to explore<br />
- -<br />
bed <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong> Bay <strong>of</strong> Bengal and<br />
Arabian Sea, the first-ever<br />
minesand<br />
tapped mineral wealth<br />
worththousands<strong>of</strong>crore.<br />
The<strong>of</strong>fshoreblockswere<br />
allocated toseveralcompanieslastyean<br />
"A preliminary inquiry<br />
______________<br />
. Five beneficiary<br />
companies owned by<br />
the family members <strong>of</strong><br />
an Indian Revenue<br />
Service<strong>of</strong>ficerare<br />
underthe agency's<br />
scanner<br />
"The companies got<br />
around 28 blocks out<br />
<strong>of</strong> 62 blocks despite<br />
being noteligible<br />
. The CDI will also be<br />
probing the role <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong>ficials <strong>of</strong> ministry<strong>of</strong><br />
Indian<br />
<strong>Bureau</strong> <strong>of</strong> Mines<br />
Each block,<br />
"<br />
mea$uringaboLjt800<br />
mineral wealth<br />
A<br />
After coal, CBI<br />
trains guns on<br />
<strong>of</strong>fshore mining<br />
" Agency MORE MUCK<br />
toprobe<br />
has been registered by the<br />
agency in connection with In March last yea the<br />
the alleged favours extend<br />
ed to the companies by the<br />
unknown <strong>of</strong>ficials <strong>of</strong> theIn<br />
government in an attempt<br />
toexplore<strong>of</strong>f-shoremineral<br />
wealth had placed 62 blocks<br />
dlan<strong>Bureau</strong><strong>of</strong> Mines while on <strong>of</strong>fer out <strong>of</strong> which 28,<br />
nearly half, were bagged by<br />
companiesownedbyfanijy<br />
members <strong>of</strong> the formerEn<br />
forcementDirectorate <strong>of</strong>fi-<br />
cial who had also served in<br />
mines ministry<br />
According to sources, the<br />
four companies, with the<br />
same central Delhi address,<br />
under the OBI scanner are<br />
owned by the sonandbroth-<br />
er<strong>of</strong> the <strong>of</strong>ficer.<br />
The CBlwfflalsobeprobing<br />
the role <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>ficials <strong>of</strong><br />
ministry <strong>of</strong> mines and Mdi<br />
an <strong>Bureau</strong> <strong>of</strong> Mines. The<br />
sourcessaldthateachbjock,<br />
measuringabout 800 sqkin,<br />
awarding licenses for ex<br />
ploring minefals in the sea<br />
bed <strong>of</strong> Bay <strong>of</strong> Bengal and<br />
Arabian Sea. This could be<br />
another mega scam," said a<br />
CBI <strong>of</strong>ficer.<br />
According to sources,<br />
five beneficiaries compa<br />
nies owned by the family<br />
members <strong>of</strong> an Indian Rev<br />
enue Service <strong>of</strong>ficerare un<br />
der the agency's scanner as<br />
the companies got around<br />
28blocksout <strong>of</strong> 62 blocks de<br />
spite being illegible,<br />
The final award <strong>of</strong> 11<br />
cences hadbeenputonhold<br />
after the aggrieved parties<br />
reached Bombay and is estimated to have huge<br />
Andhra Pradesh high unexplored mineral wealth<br />
courts seek ing theircancel<br />
in the seabed <strong>of</strong> Bay <strong>of</strong> Benlation.<br />
galand Arabian Sea.
On CVC's nöd, CBlto widen<br />
probe Coalgate<br />
fröm 1993<br />
PRAMOD KUMAR<br />
The CRI on Monday<br />
expanded its probe into<br />
"Coalgate", bringhig wider<br />
its scanner all captive coal<br />
allocations since 1993,<br />
including the six years <strong>of</strong><br />
NDA nile. This followed a<br />
reference on this by the<br />
<strong>Central</strong> Vigilance<br />
Corumission mi Monday.<br />
The CBI will soon request<br />
the coal ministry to hand<br />
over all documents on coal<br />
allocation since 1993. The<br />
earlier investigation<br />
required the CBI to examinc<br />
allocations only<br />
between 2006 and 2009. lt is<br />
likely to fle multiple FIRs<br />
with the probe being<br />
widened, sources said.<br />
Union coal mihister-<br />
Sripraliash Jaiswal had<br />
wrltten to the <strong>Central</strong><br />
Vigilance Commission last<br />
weck seeking a CBI pitbe<br />
into all coal blocks allocated<br />
since 1993, when Ute government<br />
Md started allocation<br />
to private players for<br />
captive use. He had also<br />
enclosed aletter written by<br />
seven MPs making the<br />
same demand.<br />
More on Page 3
___<br />
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CBI to probe all coil<br />
allocations since '93<br />
óoal<br />
flREOb<br />
I<br />
THEPMSOFTIIDS[pAyS I<br />
The Cifi is trying to get<br />
to the root <strong>of</strong> the matter<br />
'U<br />
-<br />
Vivek Sinha & Abhishok Sharan<br />
Iette,s®hlndustantlmes.com<br />
NEW DELITh The <strong>Central</strong> <strong>Bureau</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Investigation</strong> (CBI) on<br />
Monday expanded the scope<strong>of</strong><br />
its probe into the 'coaigate' scam<br />
to include all mines allotted to<br />
private firms since 1993.<br />
This meansinvestigating the<br />
allotments by the<br />
gjp-led<br />
National Democratic Alliance<br />
regime froml998to2004aswell<br />
as those given during United<br />
Front rule in 1996-98.<br />
The practice <strong>of</strong> granting capthe<br />
coal blocks toprivate power,<br />
steel and cement companies<br />
began in 1993, following an<br />
amendment to the Coal Mines<br />
(Nationalisation) Act.<br />
--<br />
Naraslmha Dew. Gowda<br />
Rao(1991-96) (1996-97)<br />
I¬&1 F&fl<br />
ItGuJraI AB Vajpayee<br />
-<br />
(1997-98) (1998-2064)<br />
CBI to talktoKtimar<br />
Stage Is set for CBI to seek a<br />
CBI to seeka<br />
response fromchief<br />
vigilance commissioner<br />
Ptadeep Kumar in the coal<br />
scam. He was a member <strong>of</strong><br />
the coal-aflocation screening<br />
committee in 2006 in his<br />
capacity as special secretary<br />
in the coal minisfl > Plo<br />
CBI to probe all coaL<br />
'IC<br />
CONTINUED FROM PAGEI<br />
CBI spokesperson Dharini<br />
Mishra told HT the investigat<br />
ing authority had expanded<br />
probe's scope following adirec<br />
tion from the <strong>Central</strong>Vigilance<br />
Commission (eve), India's<br />
statutory anti-cornipt onwatch<br />
dog.<br />
ensuring a "clean-up" <strong>of</strong> the coal<br />
block allocation process inthe<br />
country, the source added.<br />
The CHI has so far booked<br />
seven companies for alleged<br />
irregularities such as selling<br />
their stakes at a premium on<br />
the strength <strong>of</strong> having unused<br />
coal reserves.<br />
The CV(Th recommendations The BJP has accused the govtotheCBlcomesdaysaftercoal<br />
ernment <strong>of</strong> using the CBI for<br />
minister Sriprakash Jaiswal alleged vested political interendorsed<br />
and forwardeda let ests.<br />
ter by sevenCongressMPs who , "We are not worried about<br />
had demandeda comprehen the cve asking the CBI to<br />
sive probe into all captive coal probe coal block allocations<br />
blocks allocated since 1993. from 1993 as the NDA has noth-<br />
"The CVC has noted the view ing to hide. The issue here is<br />
points <strong>of</strong> coal minister /<br />
whoisbringinginthel99aperi<br />
Sriprakash .Jaiswaland has for<br />
warded the letter to the CBI,<br />
asking it to take action," a top<br />
government source told lit<br />
The move was "aimed" at<br />
od and why. It is the Congress,<br />
which has been demanding this<br />
asitwants to delay everything"<br />
saidHiP spokesperson Prakash<br />
Javadekat
Kefala Cabinet yet to décideon CBI probe'<br />
VA JAYARAJ<br />
" KOZFIIKODE<br />
Caught between objections<br />
from the State police and<br />
sharp divisions within the<br />
Congress party, Kerala's<br />
Congress-ledUDF Government<br />
is strugglinghard to take a decision<br />
on the demand for a CBI<br />
probe into the conspiracy<br />
behind the brutal murder <strong>of</strong><br />
rebel Marxist leader TP<br />
Chandrasekharan<strong>of</strong>Onchiyam,<br />
Kozhikode on May 4 last.<br />
HomeMinister<br />
Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan<br />
visited Chandrasekharan<br />
widow MC Rama at Oncbiyam<br />
on Monday in a reportedbid to<br />
make her withdraw the demand<br />
for such a probe but she persisted<br />
that onlya CBI investigalioncould<br />
bring tolight the roles<br />
played by certain topleaders (<strong>of</strong><br />
the CPI(M)) in the conspiracy.<br />
"A decision would now be<br />
taken by the Kerala Cabinet<br />
after seeking the opinion <strong>of</strong><br />
legal experts:' said<br />
Radhakrishnan after meeting<br />
Rn at her home in Onchiyam.<br />
The Minister is said to have told<br />
Rama about the difficulties that<br />
could possibly come up if the<br />
CBI probed only one aspect<br />
conspiracy <strong>of</strong> the murder.<br />
- -<br />
xamaana me Kevoiutlonary<br />
Marxist<br />
"<br />
Party (RMP), which<br />
Chandrasekharan and his supporters<br />
had floated in 2008 after<br />
their departure from the<br />
CPMREBEL'SMURDER<br />
CPI(M), had on September 4<br />
demanded a CR1 probe into the<br />
conspiracy behind the murder.<br />
Opposition leader VS<br />
Achuthanandan<br />
had the very<br />
next day come outin supportfor<br />
the call for CBi probe.<br />
The Government -.- especially<br />
Chief Minister Oommen<br />
Chandy and Home Minister<br />
Radhakrishnan was in<br />
favour <strong>of</strong>initiating a- CBIprobe<br />
but the situation got complicated<br />
after senior Congress<br />
leader and Union Minister <strong>of</strong><br />
State<br />
for Home Mullappally<br />
Ramachandran objected tothis.<br />
This was followed by the<br />
opinion aired by the special<br />
investigation team<strong>of</strong> the Kerala<br />
Police which probed the murder<br />
that a CR1 probe into the<br />
conspiracy at this stage after<br />
the chargesheet had been - filed<br />
render the whole<br />
could<br />
-investigationithad carried out<br />
meaningless. However, it was<br />
up to the Government to take<br />
a decision, the SIT said.<br />
On Monday, the Home<br />
Minister told mediapersons in<br />
Kozhilcode thatthe Government<br />
would do nothing that could<br />
weaken the case <strong>of</strong> the Kerala<br />
Police's SIT even when he<br />
promised to consider<br />
the<br />
demand <strong>of</strong>Rama and the RMP<br />
for a CR! 'mvestigation with the<br />
seriousness that it deserved.<br />
Police. The Government and the<br />
people <strong>of</strong>Kerala wantto see the<br />
truth behind the murder. We<br />
need clarity on some legal issues<br />
involved in the matter. The<br />
Cabinet will take a decision after<br />
gettingclarity onsuch matterC<br />
Radhakrishnan said.<br />
Revealing the rift within the<br />
Congres& its State chief Ramesh<br />
Chennithala differed with<br />
Mullappally Ramachandran saying<br />
it was perfectly all right to<br />
hand over the probe to CBJ or<br />
"There would not be any any other agency if there was<br />
move that could weaken the conviction that<br />
eicisting case <strong>of</strong> the Kerala -<br />
a fol1ow-up<br />
investigation was necessary
CBI starts probing awarci<strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong>fshore mining licences<br />
PIONEER NEWS SERVICE" NEW DELHI<br />
S'g<br />
a mega scam, the CBT has begunprobing<br />
alleged irregularities in the award <strong>of</strong><br />
licences for <strong>of</strong>fshore mineral blocks exploration<br />
worth thousands <strong>of</strong>crores by the Mines Ministry<br />
A preliminaryinquiryhas been registeredby<br />
the agency in connection with the alleged<br />
favours extended to the companies by the<br />
unknown <strong>of</strong>ficials <strong>of</strong> the Indian <strong>Bureau</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
Mines, Nagpur under the Ministry <strong>of</strong> Mines while<br />
awarding licences for exploring minerals in the<br />
sea bed <strong>of</strong> Bay <strong>of</strong>Bengal and Arabian Sea. In its<br />
PE, the CBI has also alleged that some private<br />
companies are also involved in the scam,agency<br />
sources said.<br />
According to the FE, four beneficiary companies<br />
had bagged 28 blocks out <strong>of</strong>a total <strong>of</strong> 63<br />
<strong>of</strong>fshore blocks. The four beneficiarycompanies<br />
including RVG Alloys and Metals Pvt Ltd. and<br />
RVG Minerals Pvt Ltd under the CBI scanner are<br />
owned by the family members <strong>of</strong> an Indian<br />
Revenue Service <strong>of</strong>ficer Ashok Agarwal, sources<br />
said Agarwal's companies are alleged to have<br />
bagged nearly half <strong>of</strong> the blocks despite lacking<br />
requisite criteria, the sources said, adding arms<br />
lobbyist Abhishek Verma has expressedhis willingness<br />
to become an approver ifand when the<br />
CBI registers a regular case.<br />
In March 2010, The Centre had placed 63<br />
blocks on <strong>of</strong>fer out <strong>of</strong> which 28 blocks were<br />
bagged by companies owned by family members<br />
<strong>of</strong> Agarwal, the former Enforcement Directorate<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficial who had also served in Mines Ministry.<br />
The final award <strong>of</strong> licences had been put on<br />
hold after aggrieved parties approached the<br />
Bombay High Court and the Andhra Pradesh<br />
High Court seeking their cancellation.<br />
The companies allegedly owned by the son<br />
and brother <strong>of</strong> the <strong>of</strong>ficerare based at the same<br />
address on Kasturba Gandhi Margin the national<br />
capital, the sources said.<br />
TheCN has alleged that these four companies<br />
were incorporated after bids were invited<br />
from the interested parties for exploration and<br />
did not have any experience in <strong>of</strong>fshore mining<br />
at the time <strong>of</strong> notification.<br />
The sources said CBI is probing how these<br />
dubious companies managed to score over rival<br />
firms which were in fray for the lucrative contracts.The<br />
companies owned by the IRS <strong>of</strong>ficer's<br />
familyscored much above the other competitors<br />
at screening committee meetings.<br />
Each block measuring about 800 sq km is<br />
estimated to have huge unexplored mineral wealth<br />
in the sea bed <strong>of</strong> Bay <strong>of</strong>Bengal and Arabian Sea.
CBI's probe from '93<br />
oIiticaI ploy<br />
PIONEER NEWS SERVICE<br />
NEW DELHI<br />
Mm<br />
In<br />
a move that has drawn<br />
criticism <strong>of</strong> diverting attention<br />
from the current Coalgate,<br />
the CR! has decided to probe<br />
all coal allocations made since<br />
1993, including those made<br />
durinjNDA rule.<br />
CR! on Monday received<br />
requisite reference from CVC<br />
towards it following a request<br />
from Coal Minister Sriprakash<br />
Jaiswal to the vigilance panel to<br />
probe allallocations madeafter<br />
1993. The Government had<br />
started allocations to private<br />
players for captive use in the<br />
year 1993.<br />
"CBI has received CVC's<br />
recommendation to probe any<br />
possible irregularities in the<br />
allocation <strong>of</strong> coal blocks from<br />
1993 to 2004 and the agency<br />
will enquire into allocations<br />
post-1993' a CBI <strong>of</strong>ficial said.<br />
In its reference, the CVC<br />
has asked the CBI toprobe how<br />
the rules were flouted and if<br />
there was any flagrantviolation<br />
<strong>of</strong> the policy. The vigilance<br />
watchdog also asked the CBI to<br />
probe the possible role <strong>of</strong><br />
Government <strong>of</strong>ficials who<br />
allegedly connived with the<br />
private companies and the kind<br />
<strong>of</strong>pr<strong>of</strong>it accrued to coal block<br />
beneficiary companies.<br />
While the Centre has<br />
soughtto distract the attention<br />
from the coal block scam<br />
scripted during the present<br />
UPA II regime, when the Coal<br />
Ministry was under the<br />
charse<br />
<strong>of</strong>Prime Minister Manmohan<br />
Singh, it is noteworthy that<br />
onlyeight blocks were allocated<br />
to private players during the<br />
regimes <strong>of</strong>PV Narasimha Rao,<br />
HD Deve Gowda and 1K Gujral<br />
and 32 blocks during six-year<br />
NDA rule. During 2006 and<br />
2009, when the Coal Ministry<br />
was headed by the Prime<br />
Minister, as many as 155 coal<br />
blocks were allocated to<br />
different companies.<br />
By the UPA Government's<br />
own admission, 32 allocatees<br />
have been cautioned, 58 have<br />
been issued showcause<br />
notices and 25 blocks have<br />
been de-allocated.<br />
Reacting to the development,<br />
the RJP said it has no<br />
reservations on the CVC's<br />
order asking CR1 toprobe coal<br />
allocations from 1993 onwards<br />
and alleged this was a "delaying<br />
tactic" <strong>of</strong> the Congress<br />
since it wants thetruth muffled.<br />
"We are not worried about<br />
the CVC asking the CR! to<br />
probe coal block allocations<br />
from 1993 since the NDA has<br />
nothing to hide. The issue here<br />
is who is bringing in the 1993<br />
period and why. It is the<br />
Congress which has been<br />
demanding this as it wants to<br />
delay everything," BJP<br />
spokesperson Prakash<br />
Javadekar told PT!. -<br />
The BJP spokesperson<br />
maintained that as per the<br />
Comptroller and Auditor<br />
General (CAG), 2004 is the<br />
benchmark for the new<br />
developments in coal mining.<br />
"The CAG has explained<br />
that global prices <strong>of</strong> coal<br />
increased<br />
phenomenally in<br />
2004. The ElectricityAct, 2003<br />
also increased coal prices' a<br />
private players were allowed to<br />
participate in power generation.<br />
The UPA Government<br />
decided in 2004 that there<br />
should be competitive bidding<br />
in coal mining, Javadekarsai&<br />
The BJP leader alleged that<br />
CR1 Is being "used, abused<br />
and misused" by the<br />
Government and this move is<br />
aimed at divertins attention<br />
from the scams and corruption<br />
<strong>of</strong> the UPA regime.<br />
CBI's probe from '93...ttct5<br />
power, cement and steel<br />
From Page 1 should be investigated, because <strong>of</strong> growing economy.<br />
"The point here is from The letter <strong>of</strong> MPs also In its ongoing probe, CR1<br />
when the issue shouldbe inves sought for enquiry as to what has so far registered seven FIRs<br />
tigated. You can even start system the Government <strong>of</strong>India against private companies and<br />
from 1976 when Indira Gandhi put in place for selection <strong>of</strong> unknown public <strong>of</strong>ficials for<br />
nationalised coal mining or companies for coal block allo alleged misrepresentation <strong>of</strong><br />
from the 17th century when cation between 1993 to 2004 facts. "Till March 2011, the<br />
coal mining started. This is just and whether these guidelines Ministry <strong>of</strong> Coal has allocated<br />
a delaying tactiC he added. were followed and how were 194 coal blocks for captive mlii<br />
Seeking the CR1 probe, joint venture partners selected. ing <strong>of</strong> which 142were explored<br />
Jaiswal recently forwarded a The allocation <strong>of</strong> coal blocks and the balance 52 were<br />
letter written by seven parlia blocks toprivate companies for either regionally explored or<br />
mentarians to the CVC saying captive use started in 1993 unexplored coal blocks,"<br />
that blocks allotted between when Coal Mines Comptroller and Auditor<br />
1993 and 2004 including those (Nationalisation) Act, 1973 was General has said in its recent<br />
given during the NDA hale amended with the objective <strong>of</strong> report on coal blockallocation.<br />
"In 1993, a Congress<br />
Government was in power.<br />
Then Governments <strong>of</strong> 1KGujral<br />
and Deve Gowda, both supported<br />
by the Congress, came to<br />
power:' Javadekarsaid, reiterating<br />
that his party has no issues<br />
with the period to be probed.<br />
continued on Page 4<br />
More on PlO
Allegations against Rahul false: CBI<br />
J.Venkatesan<br />
NEW DELHI:<br />
The <strong>Central</strong> <strong>Bureau</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Investigation</strong> on<br />
Monday told the Supreme<br />
Courtthat the allegation that<br />
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi<br />
had kept a girl and her parents<br />
in illegal custody was<br />
false.<br />
Additional Solicitor General,<br />
Harm<br />
Raval, appearing<br />
for the CW, told a Bench <strong>of</strong><br />
Justices B. S. Chauhan and<br />
Swtanter Kumar<br />
that the<br />
agency, as per the directions<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Allahabad High Court,<br />
conducted an enquiry,<br />
and<br />
found that the names <strong>of</strong> the<br />
three persons were non-existent.<br />
Jts verification with<br />
various government authorities,<br />
including the postmaster,<br />
Nagar Panchayat<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficials and<br />
District Food<br />
and Civil Suppliçs inspectors,<br />
revealed that the three<br />
persons were non-existent<br />
and there was no such address<br />
as given in the complaint.<br />
Mr. Raval said the<br />
investigation and statements<br />
secured revealed that the habeas<br />
corpus petition filed by<br />
the former Samajwadi Party<br />
MLA from Madhya Pradesh,<br />
Kishore Sainrite, was funded<br />
by some others. He said<br />
statements had been recorded<br />
to that effect, and produced<br />
the status report <strong>of</strong> the<br />
investigation, which was<br />
subsequently stayed by the<br />
Supreme Court.<br />
Acting on an appeal from<br />
Mr. Samrite against the High<br />
Court order imposing Rs. 50<br />
lakh in costs on him, the Supreme<br />
Court stayed the order<br />
in April last. The High<br />
Court had also directed a CIII<br />
probe against him,for filing a<br />
petition against the Mr.<br />
Gandhi. It passed the order,<br />
after the girl denied any such<br />
incident when she was produced<br />
in court.<br />
In his appeal, Mr. Samrite<br />
argued that the order passed<br />
by the Division Bench <strong>of</strong> the<br />
High Court was illegal, without<br />
jurisdiction, and arbitrary.<br />
He pointed out that a<br />
petition pending before a<br />
singe judge was unilaterally<br />
transferred by the Division<br />
Bench to itself, and it passed<br />
the order, though it was only<br />
dealing with another petition<br />
filed by one Gajendra<br />
Pal Singh, who claimed to be<br />
a relative <strong>of</strong> the girl.<br />
Senior counsel P. P. Rao,<br />
appearing for Mr. Gandhi,<br />
said the whole attempt was<br />
to tarnish the image <strong>of</strong> a<br />
young leader <strong>of</strong> the party.<br />
The petitioner had filed the<br />
petition based on website reports,<br />
which were false.
CVC orders CBI to widen probe intd<br />
coal allocations during NDA rule<br />
Sandeep<br />
Josh<br />
NEW DELHI: On instructions<br />
from the <strong>Central</strong> Vigilance<br />
Commission, the CBI on<br />
Monday decided to expand<br />
the scope <strong>of</strong>its investigation<br />
into the scam in coal blocks<br />
allocation to private firms<br />
between 1993 and 2004.<br />
The probe will now cover<br />
the blocks given during the<br />
six-year tenure <strong>of</strong> the BJPled<br />
NDA government, from<br />
1998 to 2004, besides those<br />
allotted by the Congress<br />
government led by P.V. Narasimha<br />
Rao after 1993 and<br />
the<br />
United Front government<br />
from 1996 to 1998. Till<br />
now, the CIII was investigating<br />
private companies that<br />
got blocks between 2004<br />
and 2009.<br />
As per the Comptroller<br />
-<br />
and Auditor-General's report<br />
on the<br />
allocation between<br />
1993 and 2009, 215<br />
blocks were allotted and 99<br />
<strong>of</strong> them went to government<br />
companies<br />
and 105 to private<br />
firms, while 11 were al<br />
lotted for ultra-mega power<br />
projects.<br />
Twenty-four<br />
blocks were tie-allocated between<br />
2003 and 2011 for<br />
non-performance<br />
by companies.<br />
'Maipractices<br />
in<br />
allocations:<br />
Conflnued fromPage 1<br />
Congress MP Sndeep<br />
Dikshit alleged in a letter that<br />
there were maipractices in<br />
theallocations from 1993 and<br />
2004, and demanded a thorough<br />
inquiry into all allocations<br />
during the period. "In<br />
many cases in which joint<br />
ventures have been formed<br />
between the State government<br />
corporations and private<br />
parties, there is<br />
information that many <strong>of</strong><br />
these were done through fayours<br />
to certain parties and<br />
under political pressure, and<br />
due<br />
diligence was not followed<br />
in the selection <strong>of</strong> partners<br />
by the State government<br />
corporations."<br />
Mr. Dikshit also alleged<br />
that the "State governments,<br />
especially in Chhattisgarh,<br />
Madhya Pradesh and Orissa,<br />
clandestinely gave mines to<br />
private players through the<br />
joint venture route, and no<br />
known system <strong>of</strong> fair play or<br />
competition has been followed."<br />
He demandedthat all<br />
coal blocks allotted since<br />
1993 be investigated by the<br />
CB1, especially the<br />
However, according to the<br />
CAG report, still a majority<br />
<strong>of</strong> the allocations were made<br />
under the Congress-led UPA<br />
government after 2004. Till<br />
June 2004, only 39 blocks<br />
(nettwere allotted, while 71<br />
allocations were made between<br />
July 200'tlnd September<br />
2006 (till the time<br />
systems<br />
through which the State governments<br />
selected private<br />
companies, and the criteria<br />
and guidelines that were followed.<br />
the matter was referred to<br />
the Ministry <strong>of</strong> Mines for<br />
acting on amendment to the<br />
Mines and Mineral (Development<br />
and Regulation) Act<br />
for introduction <strong>of</strong> competitive<br />
biddin, and another<br />
142 after July 2004. Notably,<br />
as on March 31,2011,194<br />
blocks stood allocated, said<br />
the GAG report. Since the<br />
CBI investigation began, another<br />
13 blocks have been<br />
de-allocated.<br />
On representations<br />
from<br />
MPs, Coal Minister Shriprakash<br />
Jaiswal wrote to the<br />
CVC last week, seeking a<br />
CBI probe into the allocations<br />
since 1993 when the<br />
government started giving<br />
blocks to private players<br />
for captive use.<br />
Mainly Congress MPs alleged<br />
massive irregularities<br />
in the allocations under the<br />
NDA rule.<br />
Continued on Page 12
CBI:BEML surrendered Tafra<br />
manufacturing rights partially<br />
Devesh K. Pandey<br />
that<br />
Bharat Earth Movers<br />
NEW DELHI: The <strong>Central</strong> <strong>Bureau</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Investigation</strong> has<br />
strong reasons to suspect<br />
Limited, through a memorandurn<br />
<strong>of</strong> understanding<br />
with the Ravi<br />
Rishi-owned<br />
British company Tatra Sipox<br />
U.K., during the tenure <strong>of</strong> the<br />
suspended BEML chief V. B.<br />
S. Natarajan, partially surrendered<br />
the manufacturing<br />
rights <strong>of</strong> all-terrain Tatra<br />
trucks in 2003. The agency<br />
might now seek the opinion<br />
<strong>of</strong> the authorities concerned<br />
to verify the suspicion.<br />
<strong>Investigation</strong>s into the alleged<br />
irregularities in the<br />
supply <strong>of</strong> the trucks through<br />
BEML to the Indian Army<br />
have revealed that based on<br />
the 1986 and 1997 agreements<br />
with the manufacturers,<br />
BEML had gained<br />
exclusive rights to manufacture<br />
the trucks in India. However,<br />
through an MoU with<br />
Tatra Sipox U.K. in February<br />
2003, it is alleged that the<br />
manufacturing rights were<br />
partially surrendered by excluding<br />
the axle part.<br />
The CBJ probe has reveaed<br />
that the public sector<br />
unit had in 1986 entered into<br />
an agreement with Tatra <strong>of</strong><br />
the erstwhile Czechoslovakia<br />
for supply <strong>of</strong> Tatra T815<br />
trucks. Simultaneously, under<br />
the agreement, documents<br />
on technological<br />
knowhow pertaining to the<br />
manufacturing <strong>of</strong> the trucks<br />
were also bought for Rs. 3<br />
crore. It was agreed that<br />
BEML would progressively<br />
indigenise the trucks and the<br />
target wasfixed at 85 per cent<br />
indigenisation by 1991.<br />
However, when Czechoslovakia<br />
split into the Czech<br />
Republic and Slovakia in<br />
1993, the manufacturing<br />
company also split into two.<br />
While the one manufacturing<br />
70 per cent <strong>of</strong> the product<br />
was renamed Tatra AS, the<br />
other was called Vab Sipox<br />
(later calledTatra Sipox). According<br />
to agency sources,<br />
investigations revealed that<br />
Vab Sipox was gradually privatised<br />
and 80 per cent <strong>of</strong> the<br />
company was taken oyer by<br />
Josef Majsky, who allegedly<br />
had prior business links with<br />
Mr. Ravi Rishi.<br />
During the turbulent<br />
phase, the supply <strong>of</strong> trucks<br />
was hit, and subsequently<br />
Ravi Rishi's Venus Projects<br />
bagged one order <strong>of</strong> 100<br />
trucks from BEML It is allegedthat<br />
Venus was awarded<br />
the contract despite the<br />
fact that it was neither a<br />
manufacturer nor its subsidiary,<br />
but a marketing company.<br />
In 1994, tke CET probe<br />
revealed that Vnus and Tatra<br />
Sipox came together to<br />
set up Tatra Sipox U.K.<br />
through a 50-50 partnership.<br />
Later, the company was allegedly<br />
taken over by Mr.<br />
Rishi.<br />
The Slovak-based company,<br />
which earlier manufachired<br />
the truck axle and<br />
backbone<br />
tube part, during<br />
the correspondence with<br />
BEML, allegedly started exerting<br />
pressure that BEML<br />
could not<br />
manufacture the<br />
axle as it was a patented<br />
product and thus had to be<br />
imported.<br />
The agency has found that<br />
the agreement for supply <strong>of</strong><br />
the truck components that<br />
was renewed in 1997 reinforced<br />
the exclusive manufacturing<br />
rights <strong>of</strong> BEML in<br />
India. Also, it allegedly mentioned<br />
that the technological<br />
knowhow documents had<br />
been transferred to BEML<br />
However, soon after Mr.<br />
Natarajan took over as<br />
BEML chief, the PSI! entered<br />
into an MoU with Tatra Sipox<br />
U.K. allegedly excluding<br />
the rights to manufacture the<br />
truck axle, thus partially surrendering<br />
the manufacturing<br />
rights. "BEML was supposed<br />
to import only the components<br />
and manufacture the<br />
trucks on its own," said a CBI<br />
Source.<br />
<strong>Investigation</strong>s have also<br />
revealed that BEML had also<br />
developed a prototype <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Tatra truck axle, but it was<br />
not allowed to further develop<br />
it and was allegedly forced<br />
to import the axle, causing<br />
huge losses tothe exchequer.<br />
Interestingly, agency sources<br />
said the then Secretary Defence<br />
Production had then<br />
raised objections asking cancellation<br />
<strong>of</strong> the 2003 MoU.<br />
However, the objections<br />
were ignored.<br />
On the issue <strong>of</strong> the alleged<br />
surrendering <strong>of</strong> manufacturing<br />
rights,<br />
BEML Chief <strong>of</strong><br />
Public Relations B. S. Sridhar<br />
said over the phone that he<br />
did not know anything about<br />
it. Several attempts to contact<br />
Mr. Natarajan also did<br />
not elicit any response.
CVC FOR PROBE INTO ALLOCA1IONS SINCE 1993<br />
AllcOatdèäls:'<br />
SI'S & pti<br />
-<br />
NEW DELHIJKANPUR, 24 SEPt The CDI has<br />
decided to expand its probe into coalgaté,<br />
bringing under its scanner all coal block allocalions<br />
made since 1993, including doing the sixyear<br />
N04 Me after, a reference in this regar4<br />
was. received from the <strong>Central</strong> Vigilance<br />
Commission (CVC) today.<br />
Last week, , .Coal Minister Shri Prakash<br />
Jalswal wrote to the CVC, seeking aCM probe<br />
into alt the coal blocks allocated since 193<br />
when the government started allocating them to<br />
private players for captive use.<br />
Seeking the CBI probe, Mr Jaiswal has also<br />
recently forwarded a letter writtenby'seven par.<br />
liamentarlans to the CYC, saying that blocks<br />
allotted between 1993 and 2004, including<br />
those given during the NDA rule, should be<br />
investigated by the Clii, as favours were<br />
allegedly done to parties under political pressure.<br />
'<br />
'<br />
The letters alo sought an enquiry into what<br />
ystem the Indian government put in place for<br />
the selection <strong>of</strong> companies for coalblock alloca-'<br />
tion between 1993 to 2004, whether thos<br />
guidelines were followedand how joint-venture<br />
,<br />
-<br />
partners were selected.<br />
The CVC today referred the complaints to<br />
the CDI 'to probe tbe matter and the agency will<br />
soon begin its investigation, CIII sources said.<br />
The allocation <strong>of</strong> coal blocks to private com-'<br />
panies forcaptive use started in 1993when Coal<br />
Mines (Nationalisation) Act, 1973 was amended<br />
with the objective <strong>of</strong> attracting private investments<br />
in specified end uses such as pOwer,'<br />
cement and steel because <strong>of</strong> growing econoni~<br />
In its ongoing probe, the CIII has so far registered<br />
seven FIRs against private companies and<br />
unknowr public <strong>of</strong>ficials for alleged misrepresentation<br />
<strong>of</strong> facts.<br />
Thl March 201l theMinistry<strong>of</strong>Coalhas allo-<br />
4e4t4 194Sfbttfoc captiv&nthilng<strong>of</strong>whicW<br />
142 were explQrëd blocks and the remaihing<br />
ivere either regionally explored or unexplored<br />
coal blocks," Comptroller and Auditor General<br />
has said In its recent report On coal block allocation.<br />
Meanwhile, ahead '<strong>of</strong> its Working Committee<br />
-<br />
-<br />
'<br />
-<br />
'<br />
-<br />
-' -'<br />
- -<br />
meeting; the' Congress today again targeted<br />
Comptroller and Auditor General mod ltai,<br />
alleging that some people haye the "penchant <strong>of</strong><br />
seeking to becdthe a hero by adding zeros" in<br />
their report.<br />
His remarks came on the eve'<strong>of</strong> the meeting <strong>of</strong><br />
the CWC, the apex policy making body' <strong>of</strong> the<br />
party, which will deliberate dn the current ppliti<br />
is<br />
Cong does not want truth<br />
to be revealed, says RiP<br />
NEW DELHI, 24 SEWn The BJP today<br />
said it has no reservations on the CVC's<br />
order, asking the CBI to probe coal<br />
allocations from 1993 onwards and<br />
alleged this was a delaylng tactic"<br />
the Congress as it does not want the<br />
truth to come out.<br />
-<br />
We are not worried about the CVC<br />
askIng the Cal to probe coal block<br />
allocations from 1993 as the NDA has<br />
nothing to hide. The issue here is who Is<br />
bringing In the 1993 period and why. It<br />
Is the Congress which has been<br />
demanding this as It wants todelay<br />
everything" BJP spokesperson Prakash<br />
Javadekartold P11.<br />
The SiP spokesperson maIntained that<br />
as per the Comptroller and Auditor<br />
General, 2004 Is the benchmark for the<br />
new developmentsIn coal mining. "The<br />
-<br />
CAG has explained that global prices <strong>of</strong><br />
coal increased phenomenally in 2004.<br />
" The Electricity Act, 2003 also increased<br />
coal prices as private players were<br />
allowed to participate in power<br />
generation. The IJPA government<br />
decided In 2004 that there should be<br />
competitive bidding In coal mining" Mr<br />
Javadekarsaid. The SIP leader alleged<br />
that the CBI is being "used, abused and<br />
misused" by the government and this<br />
move Is aimed at diverting attentIon<br />
from the scans and corruption. ptl<br />
cal situation.<br />
12 booked for obstructingiaiswàl convoy'<br />
A local SF leader along with 11 others were<br />
today b okedhere fott,lie&edlyatt&mpungjs<br />
;'"obstrnct thCcohvoybi Coal Minister iprikMi<br />
Jaiswal to, 4ayago. Oa 22 September, Mr<br />
Jaiswal's motorcade was obstructed by a group<br />
<strong>of</strong> traders, who raised slogans and ceportedfr<br />
threw shoes<br />
-<br />
at the cars. They were opposing the<br />
Centre's decision <strong>of</strong> inviting 51 per cent FDI in.<br />
ultibnnd retaiL Mr Jaiswal's PM) had flied<br />
the complaint.<br />
Today, the local - SF trade leader Gyanesh<br />
Mishra and his supporters reached Gwaltoli<br />
pOlice station to court arrest. Police, however,<br />
ruled out any arrest saying a probe was on.<br />
However, Mr Mishra alleged that Mr Jaiswal's<br />
case against him was false as his group only wanted<br />
to give a petitionopposing FDI tqMrJaiswal.
fla1Tk*i993 *3T1*1<br />
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AllOcations Since '93 to be Probed<br />
It Will cover NDA period, too, when the govt allotted 30 coal 18 to private cos & 12 to government firms<br />
blocks-<br />
WIOEANGLS Slwlpr.J4ashJaIsyrnl<br />
OUR POLITICAI. BUREAU<br />
NEW DELHI<br />
he <strong>Central</strong> VIgilance Commission<br />
,f (CVC) has directedClll to conducta<br />
probe into allocation <strong>of</strong> all coal<br />
biodkseince 1991. ThIawill covertheNoA,<br />
period, too, when the government allotted<br />
30 coalblocks<br />
— IC to private companies<br />
and 12to tovergutientflrma.<br />
With thla, all 195 captive mine owners<br />
will come under thescrottny <strong>of</strong> tInt.The<br />
government has, ames 1993, allotted 195<br />
coat blocks to private, public sector and<br />
slate-controlled utilities. The is,vesttgationss<strong>of</strong>arwere<br />
restricted toreatrtctedto<br />
64 capeivemines. "CBI will ottlarpreliminary<br />
enquiry into all allocation since<br />
BJPSpokespc,aon<br />
to ensure tranoparent allocation, and<br />
what on tents and selected guidelines<br />
"Wehavenoobjection. congreaedoea not<br />
wantdnlto come to a conclusion, This is<br />
Congress' attempt to divert attention<br />
from allocation made between loco and<br />
itOsi, We have nothing to hate," theBip<br />
spokesperaon said.<br />
OPt, too, said It did not expect a fair<br />
probe. 'tamnot cure whetherthe probe<br />
1593," aCilt spokesperson told ET,<br />
On September 5, seven Ml's led bySandseplIkable<br />
had mel the dill to seek a were adopted and followed by State got willhoeffective, We have demandedajo<br />
probe intoallocallonsmadebegweenigga ernmeni, whatmethod<strong>of</strong> due-diligence dicialprobe. We havealso asks for can'<br />
andlqO4,"lnvesttgaeton most cover what wore employed for the aame the MPa cellatlon<strong>of</strong> licenses, which gtvernment<br />
ystemihey tatale governmonls)sdopted wente In thetetter, apprehendingcaaea <strong>of</strong><br />
said CI'S Ieadernaaja.<br />
hasnotagreed'<br />
CongTargets<br />
malpracticsa during NOt, rule.<br />
In Itslatest report, CÁO hadestimated<br />
undtaebenefila<strong>of</strong>ei,tglalcJ,<br />
crors topri'<br />
sate tirmeonaccount<strong>of</strong>allocation oral<br />
Inineswtthoutauctlon.Thetasue<strong>of</strong>auocationIs<br />
also beingreviewed by an inter'<br />
CAGAgain<br />
minIsterialgroup, which has concluded<br />
scrutiny <strong>of</strong> 211 blocks allotted to private NEW DELHI Ahead<strong>of</strong> itoWorklngComrnittee<br />
companiesand Is lilcely toreviewasimore<br />
givento government firmafromOctober<br />
meeting. Congrenton Monday hasagarn<br />
targetedCAC Vinod Rat. ategingehat some<br />
WthavenoobJeclIoILCong 9. Apart from recommending de'atloca people havethg penchant<strong>of</strong>seeelngto<br />
doesnotwarflcBltocomet,<br />
a conclusWn. This is Congress'<br />
attempttodivertatteiitlon<br />
tion<strong>of</strong> isblocks, else panel has so rarrec<br />
ommendeddeduction<strong>of</strong> bankguarontee<br />
in cases <strong>of</strong> l4mlnea,<br />
Responding to thelatest development,<br />
beconlea hero byaddingzeroc insteir<br />
report. rhe penchant orseekiog to become<br />
ahero byadding zeros (in theirreports)<br />
fromallocationmade<br />
BJP leader Prakash Javadskar said his<br />
party welcomedthe decision <strong>of</strong> the Cvi,<br />
doesrIot mean a cram has taken place:<br />
party spokesman ManlshTgwaritord<br />
between2006and2009.<br />
Wehavenothingtohide<br />
PRAICASI4JAVADEKAR<br />
reporters here. Hitremarks came on the<br />
eve<strong>of</strong>ehemeetlntg<strong>of</strong>tWtjtreapex policy<br />
making body <strong>of</strong> the party, sshtchwiltdeliterate<br />
onthe current sokttcat ytuatioCthe<br />
meeting to signhticaneas isis the first interac<br />
tionat CWt In thewake <strong>of</strong>the government<br />
auditors report on the coal block allocation<br />
lame InwhIch in hat spoken <strong>of</strong> unduebanefitstoprivate<br />
players to theesneoeea85<br />
Iakh crore.- P11
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(BI to probe coal<br />
block allocations<br />
c since 1993<br />
HewsSe.nviick<br />
NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 24<br />
The inquiry into alleged<br />
inegularities in coal block<br />
allocationissue today took a<br />
new turn when the <strong>Central</strong><br />
Vigilance<br />
Commission<br />
(CVC) asked the CIII to<br />
inquire into allocationssince<br />
1993 when the BJP-led NDA<br />
was in power at the Centre.<br />
The policy <strong>of</strong> allocation <strong>of</strong><br />
coal blocks began in 1993.<br />
The CBI received a request<br />
letter from the CVC and,<br />
decided to proceed, sources<br />
in bureau said.<br />
Last week, Coal Minister<br />
Shri Prakash.laiswal wrote to<br />
CYC seeking aCBI probe into<br />
all the coal blocks allocated<br />
since 1993 when Government<br />
had started allocation to ~vate<br />
players for captive use.<br />
Seeking the CBI probe,<br />
Jaiswal has also recently forwarded<br />
a letter written by<br />
seven parliamentarians to the<br />
CYC sayingthat blocks allotted<br />
between 1993 and 2004<br />
(81 to probe cool<br />
,tI<br />
block allocations<br />
since] 993;t;<br />
Froth page jI rI1<br />
including those given during<br />
the<br />
NDA rule should be<br />
investigated by the CBI, as<br />
allegedly favours were done<br />
to parties under political<br />
pressure. The letter <strong>of</strong> MPs<br />
also sought for enquiry as to<br />
what system the Government<br />
<strong>of</strong>In4ia put in place for selection<br />
<strong>of</strong> companies for coal<br />
block allocation between<br />
1993 to 2004 and whether<br />
these guidelines were followed<br />
and how were joint<br />
venture partners selected.
cBI to probeCap ive coal:<br />
block allotments since '93<br />
BS REPORIIR<br />
New Delhi, 24 September<br />
In a new twist in the <strong>Investigation</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
the alleged coaP scam, the <strong>Central</strong><br />
<strong>Bureau</strong> <strong>of</strong>InvestIgation (CBI) willstart<br />
an inquiry Into the allotment <strong>of</strong> 195<br />
coal blocks tocaptive mIners. Includthg<br />
state government entities. The Inquiry<br />
will cover allocations sInce 1993.<br />
The ongoIng Cm inquiry covers 67<br />
blocks allotted to pñvate parties since<br />
2004 when the rulingUnited Progressive<br />
Alliance (UPA) came to power. Ifthe<br />
Inquiryraises questions over allocations<br />
duling the National Democratic Affiance<br />
story starts from 2004 but if<br />
somebody wants to go back to the<br />
11th century, we have no objection,"<br />
said the DiP's Prakash Javadekar<br />
(NDA) regime, It will provide the government<br />
with political ammunition to<br />
countercriticism bythe Opposition. The<br />
NDA government was In power from<br />
1999 to2004.<br />
The Cli will conduct the fresh<br />
Inquiry based on a reference by the<br />
<strong>Central</strong> Vigilance Commission (CVC).<br />
The reference came In response to a<br />
September 19 letter by Coal Minister<br />
Stiprakash Jalswal requesting<br />
the commission totake up the<br />
concerns <strong>of</strong> a group <strong>of</strong> seven<br />
UPA MPs on the probe. The<br />
Ml's, Including Sandlp Dikshit<br />
Harish Chaudhary, Ravneet<br />
Slngh and Raghuveer Singh<br />
Meena, In a September 5 letter<br />
to the minister had asked fora<br />
CBI probe Into allocations since<br />
1993, cIting the latest CAG<br />
report lockallocon.<br />
The<br />
- CAG had noted there wasnosysternIn<br />
place fortnnsparentand accountable<br />
allocation. "Itappears thattherewere<br />
manycases<strong>of</strong>malpracticewhile allocatbig<br />
blocks between 1993 and 2004. All<br />
b1ocls allotted sInce 1993 shouid beInvestlgated<br />
by the CBL specially looking at<br />
COAL FIRE<br />
names they forwarded to the government,"the<br />
MPs wrote In the letter.<br />
The fresh investigation, with Its<br />
widened scope, Is likely to focus on<br />
three aspects. One, the systems adopted<br />
to ensure transparency and the cr1-<br />
teria and selection guidelines adopted<br />
by states whilerecommending parties.<br />
Two, the systems put In place by the<br />
Centre for selection <strong>of</strong> companies for<br />
allocation between 1993 and<br />
2004. Three, how Jointventure<br />
partners were selected for allocations<br />
Involving private companies<br />
and state governments.<br />
The Opposition BJP weh<br />
corned the widening <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Inquiry. "The story starts from<br />
2004butifsomebodywantsto<br />
goback tothe 17th century we<br />
have no objection," BJP<br />
spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.<br />
The government has allotted a<br />
total <strong>of</strong> 218 blocks to companies since<br />
1993. <strong>of</strong> these, 195 blocks stood allocated<br />
to 289 companies by December<br />
2011. The government had cancelled<br />
seven blocks based on the recommendations<br />
<strong>of</strong> an Inter-ministerial<br />
systems through which state govern-<br />
The<br />
ments selected private companies whose<br />
group earlier this month owing to<br />
delays In theirprogress.
Coal scam: CBI to<br />
probe all allocations<br />
since 1993<br />
Our <strong>Bureau</strong><br />
New Delhi, Sept24<br />
The <strong>Central</strong> <strong>Bureau</strong> <strong>of</strong> hivesligation<br />
will investigate all the<br />
195 captive coal mines allocated<br />
since 1993. Currently, the agency's<br />
probe was limited to 64<br />
blocks given to private<br />
companies.<br />
This means allocations made<br />
during the BJP-led NDA Government<br />
would also come under<br />
the scanner.<br />
'We have no objection to the<br />
CBI holding a probe into coal<br />
allocationssince 1993," said BJP<br />
Member <strong>of</strong>Parliament Prakash<br />
Javadekar. The RIP has been<br />
maintaining that no company<br />
was favoured during the NDA<br />
regime between 1998 and 2004.<br />
The CBI's current investigation<br />
<strong>of</strong> 64 blocks is based on<br />
Javadekar and his colleague<br />
Hansraj Ahir's complaint to the<br />
<strong>Central</strong> Vigilance Commission<br />
(CVC). The CRI will now widen<br />
the probe to all coal blocks, as<br />
the CVC has again writtento the<br />
agency to take up the investigalion<br />
for all allocations.<br />
"The CRI has received the<br />
CVC communication asking to<br />
look into allocation <strong>of</strong> coal<br />
blocks post 1993, and we will<br />
start the preliminary investigations,"<br />
a CRI spokesperson told<br />
Business Line. The CVC's move<br />
is based on a request by seven<br />
Congress MPs SandeepDixit,<br />
-<br />
flarish Chaudhary, Rauneet<br />
Singh, Ch Lal Singh, Raghuvir<br />
Singh Meena, Ijyaraj Singh and<br />
Manick Tagore. On September<br />
5, they wrote to Pradip Kumar,<br />
Chief Vigilance Commissioner,<br />
wanting all coal blocks allotted<br />
since 1993 investigated by the<br />
CRI, especially at the way the<br />
State governments selected private<br />
companies whose names<br />
they forwarded tothe Centre.<br />
They sent a similar requestto<br />
the Coal Ministnj as well. Coal<br />
MinisterSrlprakash Jaiswalforwarded<br />
the request to the CVC<br />
onSeptemberl9.<br />
Interestingly, the Congress<br />
MPs said the investigation<br />
should focus on 'what systems<br />
the Governmentput in place for<br />
selection <strong>of</strong> companies for coal<br />
block allocations between 1993<br />
and 2004.' This was the time the<br />
NDAGovernmentwasinpower.<br />
The CRI has so far registered<br />
seven FIRs accusing private<br />
companies <strong>of</strong> misrepresentations<br />
and false claims while applying<br />
for coal blocks. Some <strong>of</strong><br />
these firms have also been accused<br />
<strong>of</strong>selling theirstakes after<br />
allocation <strong>of</strong>a block.<br />
Ofthe 195coal blocks, 24were<br />
de-allocated earlier. Recently,<br />
another 13blocks were de-allocated<br />
post the Inter Ministerial<br />
Grouprecommendations.<br />
siddhartha.s@<br />
thehindu.co.in
CVC wänts to know if<br />
Cöalgate began in 1993<br />
OUR CORRESPONDENT<br />
NEW DELHI: In a tit-for-tat<br />
<strong>of</strong> sorts which looks directed<br />
at previous governments,<br />
the <strong>Central</strong> <strong>Bureau</strong> <strong>of</strong><strong>Investigation</strong><br />
(CBI) was asked to<br />
probe the coal blocks abtted<br />
since<br />
1993, which will<br />
include the investigationinto<br />
the ones allocated during the<br />
National Democratic Alliance<br />
government.<br />
The move was made<br />
on Monday after the <strong>Central</strong><br />
Vigilance Commission<br />
(CVC) asked the CBI<br />
-which<br />
is probing coal block allocations<br />
made during 2006-09<br />
-to extend its investigations<br />
to cover all allocations since<br />
1993. 'hie CVC asked thatthe<br />
agency investigate the system<br />
adopted by the state govern<br />
ments duting allocation <strong>of</strong><br />
coal blocks. The criteria and<br />
selected guidelines followed<br />
during the allocation must be<br />
probed a source said.<br />
The CBI was also asked<br />
to find out the system put in<br />
place for selection <strong>of</strong> companies<br />
for coal block allocation<br />
between 1993 to 2006,<br />
whether these guidelines wer&<br />
followed and how joint yenture<br />
partners were Selected.<br />
A preliminary enquiry to<br />
examme the irregularitiesin<br />
the ällocation <strong>of</strong>coalblocks by<br />
thecoal ministry during2006-<br />
-09 was initiated on a reference<br />
from the CVC in June.<br />
The Comptroller and Auditor<br />
General has estimated<br />
undue loss <strong>of</strong> Rs 1.86 lakh<br />
crore to the government in<br />
the case.
Sachan case: CBI<br />
to file for closure<br />
AGE CORRESPONDENT<br />
NEW OELHI, SEPT. 24<br />
The CBI has fmally decided<br />
to file a closure report in<br />
the mysterious death <strong>of</strong><br />
Deputy Chief Medical<br />
Officer(CMO), Y.S. Sachan,<br />
who was found dead in<br />
Lucknow district jail on<br />
‚June 22, 2011.<br />
The CBI's investigations<br />
have more or less concluded<br />
that Sachan committed<br />
suicide, sources sah!.<br />
Sachan was a suspect in<br />
two murder cases related to<br />
the multic-crore National<br />
Rural Health Mission<br />
(NRHM) scam in Uttar<br />
Pradesh.<br />
Sources said the agency<br />
sleuths reconstructed the<br />
cham <strong>of</strong> evefits and also<br />
used the services <strong>of</strong> forensie<br />
experts from the All<br />
India Institute <strong>of</strong> Medical<br />
Sciences (AIIMS) to probe<br />
if Sachan was murdered.<br />
"The doctors have fmaily<br />
opined that the nature <strong>of</strong><br />
iiijuries on Sachan's body<br />
could have been seif inflicted.<br />
Even after re-examination<br />
<strong>of</strong> the forensie reports<br />
several times, the agency<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficials did not found anything<br />
suspicious",<br />
sai4.<br />
sources<br />
Now, the CBI has fmally<br />
decided to nie ciosure<br />
report in the case by the<br />
end <strong>of</strong> this weck, sources<br />
added.<br />
Large scaie irregularities<br />
in the impiementation <strong>of</strong><br />
NEHM programme in UP<br />
came to hght after twa<br />
CMOs— Dr V.K. Arya amt<br />
Dr Dl' Singh—were shot in<br />
Lucknow within a period <strong>of</strong><br />
six months in 2011.<br />
Besides, Deputy CMO<br />
Sachan, who was an<br />
accused in both the munter<br />
case, was found dead in<br />
Lucknow jall.<br />
The agency, which has so<br />
far registered 18 cases in<br />
the NRIIM scam, is probing<br />
two munter cases 0! CMOs<br />
also.<br />
"The agency probe has<br />
revealeil that Sachan was<br />
under immense mental<br />
pressure b&ause <strong>of</strong> police<br />
investigations against hirn.,<br />
The CBI has also recovered<br />
a ietter written by hirn an<br />
June 11 2011, about 10 days<br />
before he allegedly committed<br />
suicide in Lucknowjail.<br />
In the leiter Sachan had<br />
threatened - to reveai the<br />
namesothose involved In<br />
the kffling <strong>of</strong> two former,<br />
CMOs—Dr V.K. Arya and<br />
Dr BP Singh," sourcos said.
CBI PE in <strong>of</strong>fshore licences<br />
AGE CORRESPONDENT<br />
NEW DELHI, SEPT. 24<br />
After initiating its probe<br />
into the multi-erore coalgate<br />
scam, the CBI has<br />
now registered a preliminary<br />
inquiry (PE) to investigate<br />
alleged irregularities<br />
in the allocation <strong>of</strong><br />
hcences for expioring mmerals<br />
in thsen bed <strong>of</strong> Bay<br />
<strong>of</strong> Bengal and Arabian Sea.<br />
Role <strong>of</strong> certain <strong>of</strong>ficials <strong>of</strong><br />
the Indian <strong>Bureau</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
Mines (IBM) is under the<br />
scanner <strong>of</strong> the agency,<br />
According to sources, the<br />
agency has registered a PE<br />
to probe the alleged<br />
favours extended by<br />
unknown <strong>of</strong>ficials <strong>of</strong> the<br />
IBM to the companies<br />
while awarding licences<br />
for expioring minerals in<br />
the Bay <strong>of</strong> Bengal aM<br />
Arabian Sea.<br />
"At least sbc companies<br />
which were given licenses<br />
for expioring minerals in<br />
the sea bed, are under the<br />
scanner <strong>of</strong> the CBI. These<br />
companies are reiortedly<br />
owned by the family meinbers<br />
<strong>of</strong> an Indian Revenue<br />
Service (IRS) <strong>of</strong>ficer. The<br />
agency is scrutinising all<br />
documents submitted by<br />
these companies while Lii<br />
Ing applications for the<br />
licences", sources said. lt<br />
is believed that licences<br />
for at least ten blocks were<br />
given to these companies<br />
jlespite lacking necessary<br />
qualification, sources<br />
added.<br />
The final award <strong>of</strong><br />
licences had been put on<br />
hold after aggrieved parties<br />
approached the<br />
Bombay high court and<br />
the Andhra Pradesh high<br />
court seeking their cancellation.<br />
Sources further said,<br />
"Probe has also revealed<br />
that at least three companies<br />
were given licences<br />
without having any<br />
xperience<br />
in the <strong>of</strong>fshore miiing.<br />
Ilow these conipanies<br />
managed to get licences Ihr<br />
exploration, is a matter <strong>of</strong><br />
probe". The agency is now<br />
scrutinising the list and<br />
other relevant documents<br />
<strong>of</strong> all 62 companies which<br />
were awarded licences.<br />
'The CBI wffl also request<br />
the Indian <strong>Bureau</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
Mines, which works under<br />
the ministry <strong>of</strong> munes, to<br />
handover all relevant documents<br />
related<br />
to these<br />
companies to the agency,"<br />
sources said:
-<br />
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CONGMPsWROTE<br />
TOREOUEST<br />
PROBE EXPANSION<br />
PRAMOD KUMAR<br />
NEW DELHI.<br />
SEPT. 24<br />
The CBI on Monday<br />
expanded the ambit <strong>of</strong> its<br />
probe into the coalgate<br />
scam by bringlng under its<br />
scanner all captive coal<br />
block allocations made<br />
since 1993. The allocation<br />
<strong>of</strong> coal blocks to private<br />
companies for captiveuse<br />
" started in 1993 whcn Coal<br />
Mines (Nationalisation)<br />
Act, 1973 was amended<br />
with the objective <strong>of</strong><br />
attracting private Investments<br />
in specified end uses<br />
such as power, cement and<br />
steel becäuse <strong>of</strong> growing<br />
economy.<br />
-<br />
While seeking the CRI<br />
probe, Union coal minister<br />
Sriprakash Jaiswal had<br />
also forwarded a letter<br />
written by seven parliamentarians<br />
to the CVC saying<br />
that blocks allotted<br />
between 1993 and 2004,<br />
including those given dur<br />
Ing the NDA nile, should<br />
be investigated by the CRI,<br />
as allegedly favours were<br />
done to private companies<br />
under political pressure,<br />
sources said. The letter <strong>of</strong><br />
MPs als 6 sought: for<br />
enqufry as to what system<br />
the Government <strong>of</strong> Indla<br />
put In place for selection <strong>of</strong><br />
companies for coal block<br />
allocation between 1993 to<br />
2004 and whether these<br />
guidelines were followed.<br />
The expanded probe wffl<br />
examme allocations <strong>of</strong> captive<br />
coal blocks made by<br />
the coal ministry, on the<br />
recommendations <strong>of</strong> the<br />
inter-ministerial screening<br />
committee, during the<br />
regime <strong>of</strong> live Prime<br />
Ministers.
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_______________________________________
ut-aj boprd <strong>of</strong>Excise<br />
Seminar o<br />
-<br />
Customs!<br />
DIrector, CDI. A.P. Siagh and the Chairman, National Com<br />
mission for Minorities, W4aliat Habibuilah at a seminar on<br />
"bnspaient and Robust Vigilance Mechanism',organised<br />
by CBEC. Also seen Parveen Mabajan, Chairperson, CSEC
CBI lens on<br />
1seawealth<br />
SUSPECTING another Instance<br />
<strong>of</strong> exploitation <strong>of</strong> natural<br />
resources, the CBI has begun a<br />
probe into alleged Irregularities<br />
m the country's first-ever attempt<br />
to explore untapped misteral<br />
wealth worth thousands <strong>of</strong><br />
crores lying In the deep seabed.<br />
The CBI has registered a preliminary<br />
enquiry In connection<br />
with the alleged favours extended<br />
to certain firms by unknown<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficials <strong>of</strong> the Indian <strong>Bureau</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
Mines while awarding licences<br />
for exploring minerals In the<br />
seabed <strong>of</strong>the Bay <strong>of</strong> Bengal and<br />
the Arabian Sea, sources said.<br />
According to the sources, five<br />
beneficiary companies ownedby<br />
family members <strong>of</strong>an IndianRevenue<br />
Service (IRS) <strong>of</strong>ficet who<br />
was earlier posted at the enforcement<br />
directorate, are also under<br />
the agency's scanner as they<br />
bagged nearl' half<strong>of</strong> the blocks<br />
despite laclang the necessary<br />
qualification. "Out <strong>of</strong> 63 blocks,<br />
28 were allocated to firms owned<br />
by the family members <strong>of</strong> the<br />
IRS <strong>of</strong>ficer. Officials <strong>of</strong> the ministry<br />
<strong>of</strong> mines are also under the<br />
scanner as the <strong>of</strong>ficer had served<br />
there as well," a CBI <strong>of</strong>ficer said.<br />
It Is alleged that the accused<br />
firms did not have any experience<br />
In <strong>of</strong>fshore mining at the<br />
time <strong>of</strong> notification.<br />
The Indian <strong>Bureau</strong> <strong>of</strong> Mines<br />
had announced In March last<br />
year the list <strong>of</strong>firms that won<br />
the bids. But the Nagpur bench<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Bombay High Court had<br />
stayed the execution after acceptIng<br />
the plea <strong>of</strong>a Thmil Nadubased<br />
company.<br />
Mail Today/New Delhi
coal blocks<br />
face probe<br />
THE CBi probe into coal block<br />
allocations has expanded with<br />
the agency deciding to<br />
scrutinise all the allocations<br />
since 1993.<br />
This brings under the scannercoal<br />
block allocations made<br />
during non-Congress governments<br />
such as during the<br />
BJP-led NDA rule.<br />
The agency received a recommendationto<br />
widen the probe<br />
from the <strong>Central</strong> Vigilance<br />
Commission (CVC) on Monday.<br />
Currently the agency was<br />
only looking into alleged<br />
irregularities in the allotment<br />
between 2006 and 2009 when<br />
Prime Minister Manmohan<br />
Slngh held additionai charge<br />
<strong>of</strong>the coal ministry.<br />
Last week,<br />
- coal mThistersiiprakash<br />
Jaiswal had written to<br />
the CVC requesting for a probe<br />
into all allocations since 1993<br />
when the government started<br />
allocating blocks to private<br />
players for captive use. Since<br />
1993, a total <strong>of</strong> 194 blocks have<br />
been allocated, <strong>of</strong> which the<br />
CBi isalready probing Into 64.<br />
The government was pushed<br />
into a corner by theOpposition<br />
and the previous Parliament<br />
session washed <strong>of</strong>fafter the Comptroiierand<br />
Auditor General<br />
(CAG) pegged the loss at fl.86<br />
lakh crore tothe exchequer<br />
Mail Today/New Delhi
Ex-MLApaidfor<br />
U<br />
case against Rahul<br />
FORMER MLA Kishore Samrite had<br />
received funds to file a petition against<br />
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the Cal<br />
told the Supreme Court on Monday.<br />
Additional solicitor general Haren P.<br />
Ravel said Samrite had admitted to the<br />
agency during questioning that he had<br />
received money in cash and had<br />
deposited it in his account in installments.<br />
'We have bank receipts showing<br />
the deposits," he added.<br />
The ex-ML.A had earlier stated before<br />
the SC that he had filed the petition at the<br />
instance <strong>of</strong>SamaJwadiParty leaden. The<br />
Uttar Pradesh government flied an affidavit<br />
saying Samrlte's allegation was an<br />
attempt to gain cheap publicity and to<br />
advance his political objectives.<br />
Mail lbday in New Delhi
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CBI probes <strong>of</strong>fshor<br />
mining licence scam<br />
, NeerajChauhanll-NN<br />
New Delhi: A new scam<br />
worth several thousajds <strong>of</strong><br />
crores hascome to light. The<br />
CBI has started a probe Into<br />
serious irregularities In<br />
awarding <strong>of</strong>fshore mining<br />
blocks to private companies<br />
thatdidnotfuifllltheeligibfl.<br />
itycriteria.<br />
The CBI has registered a<br />
preliminary enquiry against<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficials <strong>of</strong> Indian <strong>Bureau</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
Kln got 28 blodcs,p 12<br />
Mines, ministry<strong>of</strong> mines and<br />
private firms that secured iicences<br />
to explore minerals in<br />
the sea bed <strong>of</strong> Bay <strong>of</strong> Bengal<br />
and Arabian Sea even when<br />
they werenot eligible.<br />
At the centre <strong>of</strong> the controversy<br />
is Ashok Aggarwal,<br />
former deputy director <strong>of</strong><br />
the Enforcement Directorate.<br />
CBI sources say close to<br />
'Can't quash FIRs<br />
for heinous crime'<br />
Pulling corruption on a par<br />
with heinous <strong>of</strong>fences, the<br />
Supreme Courtruled on<br />
MondaythatEißs lodged by<br />
Cal in Coalgate undervarious<br />
sections <strong>of</strong>Prevention <strong>of</strong><br />
Corruption Actcannot be<br />
quashed bythe highcourts<br />
and the accused will have to<br />
face trialafterthe completion<br />
<strong>of</strong> investigations.Pl<br />
half <strong>of</strong> the mineral-bearing<br />
<strong>of</strong>fshore blockswere given to<br />
firmsbelonging tohiskin.<br />
This is<br />
not Aggarwal's<br />
first brush with the CBI. In<br />
2003, CRI had chargesheeted<br />
him for allegedly hatching a<br />
criminal conspiracy to implicate<br />
Delhi jeweller Subhash<br />
Barjatya In a now-repealed<br />
Fera case.
CII fmds foreigii<br />
hand behihd bid<br />
to malign Rahul<br />
Dhananjay Mahapatra IiNN<br />
New Delhi: The CBI on Monday<br />
Informed the Supreme<br />
Court about the involvement<br />
<strong>of</strong>a "foreign hand" totarnish<br />
Congress<br />
general secretary<br />
Rahul Gandhi's image and<br />
reputation by accusing hint<strong>of</strong><br />
abductingafictitltuswomn<br />
The agency also claimed<br />
that a petition in the Allahabad<br />
high court by oneKishore<br />
Samrite making baseless<br />
allegations against the Congress<br />
leader was "funded",<br />
emphasizing that it had even<br />
seized chits showing he received<br />
money for paying lawyers'fees.<br />
Ifl its status r port, sub<br />
mittedtothe court ina sealed<br />
covei the CBIsaid the woman<br />
Rahul wasaccused <strong>of</strong> abduct<br />
ingdidnotexist, andhadbeen<br />
conjured up in reports uploaded<br />
on three foreign websites,<br />
which Sami-ite<br />
used<br />
with anulterior motive. "She<br />
Is non-existent, her address Is<br />
fictitious and there is no Itcord<br />
whatsoever with the UP<br />
government or local bodies,"<br />
the CBI informed a bench <strong>of</strong><br />
Justices B S Chauhan and<br />
SwatanterKuman<br />
The bench is hearing an<br />
appeal by Samrite challenging<br />
the HC's decision to finposeafine<strong>of</strong>ßssolaldjforffl<br />
ing a frivoloith petition. SC<br />
had stayed the HG order on<br />
Aprilelastyeaz<br />
On<br />
the HG's directions,<br />
the CBI on Marchll last year<br />
lodged an FIR against Samrite,<br />
owners <strong>of</strong> the websites<br />
and unknown persons<br />
accusing them <strong>of</strong> conspira'<br />
and booking them under sevenl<br />
sections <strong>of</strong> the Indian Penal<br />
Code, Including criminal<br />
defamation.<br />
Before the SC on April 6<br />
stayed the HG order, the CBI<br />
within 25 days had reached<br />
the website owners located<br />
abroad asking for details <strong>of</strong><br />
the IP addresses from which<br />
BEING TARGETED<br />
the <strong>of</strong>fensive content was uploadedon<br />
the websites.<br />
"Those website owners<br />
told CBI to come through the<br />
proper legal channel," add!-<br />
tlonal solicitor general Harm<br />
Naval informed the court. He<br />
said CBI was considering issuance<br />
<strong>of</strong> letters rogatory<br />
through indian courts to request<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficials in those countries<br />
for assistance in the <strong>Investigation</strong><br />
when the SC stay<br />
order stopped further probe.<br />
"During<br />
Samrite said<br />
questioning,<br />
the litigation<br />
was funded. He has given the<br />
CBldetails<strong>of</strong>whohadfUnded<br />
the litigation. The Investigating<strong>of</strong>ficer<br />
has recovered chits<br />
about money deposited by<br />
hlmafterreceivingitfromthe<br />
funders. The money was used<br />
to pay lawyers," Raval said.<br />
Samrite,afornierSPMLA<br />
from Madhya Pradesh, had'<br />
claimed that he had ified the<br />
petition In the HC on the direction<br />
<strong>of</strong> top SP leaders. On<br />
being questioned by the<br />
court, Samrite's counsel Kamini<br />
Jaiswal had lnforrned[<br />
the bench that her client<br />
hadj<br />
filed the petition in2OlOonthe<br />
direction <strong>of</strong> Si' leaders Mu-1<br />
layam SinghYadav and Akhi-]<br />
leshYadav<br />
The UP government had<br />
objected to the names <strong>of</strong> top;<br />
leaders <strong>of</strong> therulingpartybe-;<br />
ing taken so casually Senior<br />
advocate Rakesh Dwivedi told'<br />
the bench that Samrite was a<br />
liar whose petition needed to<br />
be thrown out without any<br />
consideration <strong>of</strong> his plea.
Aggarwal's kin bagged 28 &f<br />
62 <strong>of</strong>fshore miningblocks'<br />
Ntflb3UhafllTNN<br />
New Delhi: Ashok Aggarwal, former<br />
deputy director <strong>of</strong> Enforcement<br />
Directorate, who is alleged<br />
tobe involved inan <strong>of</strong>fshore mining<br />
licence scam, has earlier been<br />
tried for possessing assets disproportionate<br />
to his known sources<br />
<strong>of</strong> income.<br />
-<br />
Asfor thelatestcase concerning<br />
him,a CBI sourcetold TOl, "Indian<br />
<strong>Bureau</strong> <strong>of</strong> Mines <strong>of</strong>ficials did not<br />
follow the laid down norms and<br />
rules according to which only companies<br />
with expertise in exploring<br />
natural mines in the sea, having financial<br />
capability and<br />
technical<br />
knowhow could be given <strong>of</strong>fshore<br />
blocks. Some <strong>of</strong> the companies<br />
which were given blocks had been<br />
registered just months or, in some<br />
cases, a few days before they filed<br />
theapplication."<br />
He further said, "Some companies<br />
were registered just before applications.<br />
Others wereincorporatedafter<br />
bids were invited, and did<br />
not haveany experience in <strong>of</strong>fshore<br />
mining at the time <strong>of</strong> notification.<br />
The mannerin which these companies<br />
werepreferred over others in<br />
the fray for the lucrative contracts<br />
needs to be investigated."<br />
Significantly, companies belongingto<br />
Aggarwal's clan bagged<br />
Govt likely to issue rOme deallécatmon letters soon<br />
Thecoal ministryislikelyto begin nextweekissuingdeallocationletters<br />
toprivate firms whose mines were cancelled and those where bank<br />
guaranteeswere deducted forsitting idleon minesgiventothemfor<br />
captive use, coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal on Monday said.<br />
"Weare hopefulthatfrom nextweekwewill startissuingdeallocation<br />
lettersto all thosefirmswhosecoal blockswere deallocated and bank<br />
guarantee deducted," Jaiswal said. He also said that s<strong>of</strong>arthe coal ministry<br />
had deallocated seven coal blocks, while the government has yetto take a<br />
call onthe recommendations <strong>of</strong>Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG)for<br />
deallocation <strong>of</strong> anothersix coal blocks. pm<br />
28 <strong>of</strong> the 62 blocks which wereallocated,<br />
as part <strong>of</strong> a maiden effort to<br />
explore <strong>of</strong>fshore mineral wealth, In<br />
Marchlast yeast Bombay highcourt<br />
and Andhra Pradesh high court<br />
have stopped the tinal award <strong>of</strong> iicences<br />
in resporik to petitions<br />
seeking the scrapping <strong>of</strong> the entire<br />
process.<br />
Sources said each block, measuring<br />
about 800 sq km. was estimated<br />
to have huge<br />
unexplored<br />
mineral wealth In the sea bed <strong>of</strong><br />
Bay <strong>of</strong> Bengal and Arabian Sea. 26<br />
<strong>of</strong> the <strong>of</strong>fshore blocks which were<br />
awarded are in Bay <strong>of</strong> Bengal while<br />
86 are In the Arabian Sea.<br />
The companies which got <strong>of</strong>fshore<br />
blocks in Bay <strong>of</strong> Bengal indude<br />
Andhra Minerals (Nagpur),<br />
AnIk Industries Ltd (Mumbai), IBC<br />
Limited (Chennai), Kanyakumari<br />
Minerals (Nagpur), PM GEOExplo<br />
ration India TM Ltd (Bangalore),<br />
PMB Rare Minerals India Pvt<br />
Ltd (Bangalore), RVG Minerals<br />
and Metals TM Ltd (New Delhi)<br />
and Standard Metalloys Pvt Ltd<br />
(NewDeihi).<br />
The companies which got<br />
blocks In ArabIan Sea include Apex<br />
Metalloys Pvt Ltd (New Delhi), CG<br />
chin Minerals and Ruffle Limited<br />
(Alwaye, Kerala), Indian Garnet<br />
SandCo (F)Ltd (Chennai), Rare (U)<br />
Minerals Fvt Ltd (Tiruchirapalil),<br />
RVG Metals and Alloys TM Ltd<br />
(New Delhi), UA Minerals Pvt Ltd<br />
(New Delhi), Vetrivel Mineralsflmil<br />
Nadu) and VIA Earth ResourcesPvtLtd(Mumbai).<br />
Out <strong>of</strong> these, CBI sources said<br />
five companies RVG Minerals,<br />
Standard, Apex, -RVG Metals and<br />
UA belonged to Aggar-<br />
Minerals-<br />
wal'sbrother and son.
NDA coal block<br />
allocations now<br />
under CBJ lens<br />
TIMES NEWSNETWORK<br />
New Dethi: The CDI has decided<br />
toexpand its probe into<br />
Coalgate scam bringing under<br />
itsscanner all coal block<br />
allocations made since 1993,<br />
including the six-year NDA<br />
rule, after a reference in<br />
thisregardwasreceivedfrom<br />
the CVC.<br />
Last week, coal minister<br />
Shri Prakash ,Jaiswal wrote<br />
to<strong>Central</strong>VigilanceCommi&<br />
sion seeking a CBI probe into<br />
all coal blocks allocated since<br />
1993 when the government<br />
had started allocation to private<br />
players for captive usa<br />
Seeking a CDI probe, Jaiswal<br />
also recently forwarded a<br />
letterwrittenby sevenparliamentarians<br />
to the CVC saying<br />
that blocks allotted betweenl9g3and2004including<br />
those given during NDArule<br />
should be investigated by<br />
CBI, as allegedly favours<br />
were done to parties under<br />
politicalpressura<br />
The letter <strong>of</strong> MPs also<br />
sought enquiry as to what<br />
system the government<strong>of</strong>India<br />
put in place for selection<br />
<strong>of</strong> companies for coal block<br />
allocation between 1993 and<br />
2004andwhethertheseguidelines<br />
were followed and how<br />
were joint venture partners<br />
selected.<br />
The CVC referred the<br />
complaints to CBI to probe<br />
the matter and the agency<br />
will soon begin its investigation<br />
on it, CBI sources said.<br />
The allocation <strong>of</strong> coal blocks<br />
toprivate companies for captive<br />
use started in 1993 when<br />
Coal Mines (Nationalisation)<br />
Act, 1973 was amended with<br />
the objective <strong>of</strong> attracting<br />
private investment in specified<br />
end uses such as power,<br />
cement and steel because <strong>of</strong><br />
growing economy.<br />
In its ongoing probe, CDI<br />
has so far registered seven<br />
DIGGING UP DIRT<br />
BJP meet to focus<br />
on UPA's misrule<br />
BJP's national executive<br />
The<br />
and national council<br />
meetings, beginning<br />
Wednesday, are expected to<br />
focus on the UPA government's<br />
"1corruption" and economic<br />
policy decisions and waysto<br />
improvethe party's prospects<br />
in assembly pollsslated in the<br />
nextfew months. The<br />
meetings, at$urajkund in<br />
Hajyana, come againstthe<br />
backdrop <strong>of</strong>theUPA<br />
government losing ally<br />
Trinamool Congress and a<br />
larger opposition unity onthe<br />
issues <strong>of</strong> foreign direct<br />
investment in multi-brand<br />
retail, hike in diesel prices and<br />
cap on subidized cooking gas<br />
cylinders. ANS<br />
FIRs against private compaflies<br />
and unknown public <strong>of</strong>ficials<br />
for alleged misrepresentation<br />
<strong>of</strong> facts. "Till<br />
March 2011, the ministry <strong>of</strong><br />
coal has allocated 194 coal<br />
blocks for captive mining <strong>of</strong><br />
which 142 were explored<br />
blocks and the balance 52<br />
were either regionally explored<br />
or unexplored coal<br />
blocks," the CAG said in its<br />
recentreportoncoal block allocation.
The Director, CBI, A.P, Singh, and the<br />
Chairman, National Commissionfor<br />
Minorities, Wajahat Habibullab, at a seminar<br />
on ftansparent and Robust Vigilance<br />
Mechanism', organised by CBEC, in New Delhi,<br />
on September 21. Also seen in the picture is<br />
Chairperson, CBEC, Praveen Mahajan