JOIN USCBI set to submit coal scam report today
The CBI will submit its much-anticipated status report on the investigations into coal block allocation before the Supreme Court on Tuesday in which the agency is expected to talk about the issue of missing documents, which is getting controversial day by day.
The Coal Ministry appears to have put the ball in the CBI’s court by saying that the files and documents sought by the agency could be found in the ones it has already submitted.
The CBI had sought 225 files and documents from Coal Ministry and in its reply, the Ministry had said that the files and documents sought by the agency might be part of the files already been submitted.
Of the 225 files and documents, sources said, 167 pertain to pre-2006 period.
In its status report, sources said, the CBI is likely to give a list of FIRs for which records have been sought from the Coal Ministry and are yet to be provided.
Sources said the CBI has formed teams to scrutinise the files again to look for missing documents. The agency may not term the files as “missing” in its affidavit as the Coal Ministry has not described it as missing.
The CBI is likely to tell the Supreme Court that the files “have not been made available” to the agency so far.
The CBI has registered 13 cases related to coal allocations during 2006-09 for alleged misrepresentation of facts by the beneficiaries while applying. Last Thursday, the Coal Ministry had informed the CBI that they were “searching” for files asked by the agency.
A government panel set up to trace the files had met on July 16 and even requested Prime Minister’s Office to provide them with a reference it made to the Coal Ministry with regard to a recommendation made by Congress MP Vijay Darda.
The untraceable files include report of Coal India Ltd’s financial experts on the 35th screening committee’s meeting pertaining to allocations made in 2007 when the Prime Minister held charge of coal portfolio. This report could throw light on whether the mines were given to the deserving.