New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday defended itself over the CAG report on coal block allocation saying there was no scam in it. Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh claimed the Congress made no money out of the allocation of coal blocks and said that the CBI was only investigating whether some companies were eligible for getting coal blocks. The party also defended Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying he made no...
01:02 PM, Sep 12, 2012
New Delhi: Demanding a probe into fresh reports in the allocation of 142 coal blocks by the UPA government, the BJP on Tuesday said it is "truly amazing" that relatives and associates of union ministers have gained soon after the latter occupied the high offices. "It is truly amazing that the enterprenuerial skills of the kith and kin of UPA ministers shine only when the brothers are ministers," BJP Chief...
06:34 PM, Sep 11, 2012
Mehsana: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi sounded the election bugle for the Assembly Elections later in 2012 and kick started his election campaign by upping his ante against the Congress, saying that the party is using the CBI against him. At a rally in Mehsana district in Gujarat on Tuesday, Modi hit out at the Congress-led UPA Government for misusing constitutional bodies for its own interest and its ease. "They...
01:08 PM, Sep 11, 2012
New Delhi: In a stinging attack on the CAG, the Congress on Monday alleged that the government auditor was as much responsible as the BJP for the disruption of the just-concluded monsoon session of Parliament on the coal mine allocation issue. Party spokesperson Manish Tewari also sought to make a major issue out of a telephone call by a senior BJP leader to the CAG on a yet-to-be-tabled report by...
09:43 PM, Sep 10, 2012
New Delhi: The CBI has shortlisted the people who are likely to be called for recording their statements in connection with five cases registered by it for alleged irregularities in allocation of captive coal blocks. Agency sources said in the first batch, the accused named in the FIRs against JLD Yavatmal Energy Limited, JAS Infrastructure Capital Private Limited and AMR Iron and Steel are likely to be called at its...
07:14 PM, Sep 10, 2012
New Delhi: The Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) on coal blocks allocations will submit its report to the Coal Ministry of India on Monday as its three-day review of 29 private sector allottees, including Jindal Steel and Power and others in which relatives of politicians held positions, have concluded. "All the coal blocks on agenda for three days (September 6-8) have been reviewed," Zohra Chatterji, Additional Secretary in the Coal Ministry who...
10:44 AM, Sep 10, 2012
Bangalore: Defending Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Corporate Affairs and Power Minister M Veerappa Moily on Saturday said it was "unfair" to hold him responsible for 'coalgate' as it was a collective decision of the Screening Committee to allocate coal blocks. "The applications for coal block allocations were examined and evaluated by a broad-based Steering Committee with representatives from state governments, related ministries of the central government and coal companies. "That...
02:34 AM, Sep 09, 2012
Minimal business conducted over 3 weeks as Opposition repeatedly disrupted proceedings over the coal scam. ...
11:10 PM, Sep 07, 2012
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday promised that issues raised in the CAG report over coal block allocation would not be "swept under the carpet" and necessary "corrective action" will be taken even as he lashed out at BJP for pursuing obstructionist politics. He said the CAG, in its report on coal block allocation, has "rightly or wrongly" made certain allegations about public functionaries and the government was...
06:43 PM, Sep 07, 2012
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday defended itself after a complete washout of the Monsoon session. The party that has been demanding Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's resignation over the CAG report on coal blocks allocation, blamed the Parliament deadlock on the government. "We did not want a straight discussion. We had three demands and we limited it to two demands and left the demand for discussion. But...
02:52 PM, Sep 07, 2012
New Delhi: The month-long Monsoon session of Parliament that began on August 8 has been one of the least productive sessions by far with protests over Assam violence, CAG report on coal blocks allocation and finally the Bill over SC/ST quota in job promotions stalling the proceedings. No business could be transacted for days due to the daily ritual of slogan shouting and rushing to the Well of the House...
01:55 PM, Sep 07, 2012
New Delhi: In yet another trouble for the government, a new report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has exposed the rot in the power sector. According to the CAG, the inefficiency of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) has meant only two of 16 planned projects have been completed. The CAG report has said that the cost overruns have led to losses Rs 14,700 crore, adding that 10-year...
06:35 PM, Sep 06, 2012
New Delhi: 12:05 pm: As an uproar continued in both the Houses over the CAG report on coal blocks allocation, the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day and the Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm. The Opposition MPs continued to demand Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's resignation. 12 noon: The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha resume, uproar continues. 11:05 am: Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha...
11:21 AM, Sep 06, 2012
Congress MP Vijay Darda has been named in the CBI FIR on coal blocks allocation in the capacity of a Director of one of the benefitting companies. Speaking to IBN18 Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai, Darda defended himself and denied the allegations. In its FIR on JLD Yavatmal Energy Limited, which bagged Fatehpur East Coal Block in Chhattisgarh, CBI has named Darda along with his son Devendra and other former and present...
07:56 AM, Sep 05, 2012
Hansraj Ahir, the BJP MP who had written to the CAG on the allocations, has said that the party is ready for scrapping allocation made during BJP tenure. ...
04:04 PM, Sep 04, 2012
CBI raids were on at 31 locations in 10 cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Hyderabad. ...
02:41 PM, Sep 04, 2012
New Delhi: 4.39 pm: Union Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal hits out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its leader Arun Jailtley calling them liar. He said that the blocks were allocated by the state government and the Opposition wanted the blocks to be de-allocated so that the firms could go to court and get relief. 2.10 pm: Rajya Sabha adjourned. 2:00 pm: Rajya Sabha resumes. Uproar continues. 1.48 pm:...
11:45 AM, Sep 04, 2012
New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed FIRs against five companies in connection with coal blocks allocation. The companies include Vinni Iron and Steel, Nav Bharat Steel, JLD Yavatmal, JAS Infrastructure and Power and AMR Iron and Steel. Cases have been registered under cheating, criminal conspiracy against the companies, owners of the companies and unknown officials of the Coal Ministry and state governments. The agency had questioned...
07:55 AM, Sep 04, 2012
Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said the UPA government was on the last leg of its rule following the coal scam. "Isme koi shak hai kya (Is there any doubt)"? replied Kumar when asked whether the coal scam would prove to be the last nail in the coffin of the UPA government. On the Parliament stalemate, he said political parties were trying to work out steps to...
02:50 AM, Sep 04, 2012
New Delhi: Amid the political logjam over coal allocation controversy, Corporate Affairs Minister Veerappa Moily on Monday said that it is not the duty of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to estimate losses. "I am not blaming them (auditors). Quantifying the loss is not their duty. Pointing out whether due diligence is taken, appropriate procedures have been processed and if there is any lapse on that part, that they...
01:48 AM, Sep 04, 2012
