Coalgate: CBI likely to file cases, quiz govt officials

The Central Bureau of Investigation is likely to file cases against the government of Odisha, Jharkhand and against several chief secretaries, and government officials who have dealt with coal allocation.

Cases will be filed in connection with at least 15 major private companies being allocated coal blocks at throwaway prices causing huge losses to the state exchequer. This took place when Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh was in charge of the ministry.

One of the top officers of the premier investigating agency told rediff.com that the agency was studying the CAG report and analysing it critically. "The CAG report clearly mentions the states of Odisha and Jharkhand and some other BJP ruled states have incurred heavy losses and the government officials of these states including the chief secretaries would be questioned along with the state government servants dealing with coal blocks," he said.

Over forty private companies who were allocated mines have not yet started working on the project and this has also added to the losses. Top officials of these companies would also be questioned.

The Congress believes that an investigation would bring out the truth behind the huge losses and expose the BJP and role of the chief ministers of the states ruled by the party.

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, one of the senior vice presidents of the BJP said that this was not the first time that the Congress is trying to divert attention from a major scam and make it a non-issue. "If Raja can go to jail, if Kalmadi can go to Tihar on corruption charges how can the prime minister claim immunity? Enough is enough, he must go. Why target BJP chief ministers for no fault of theirs," he asked.