Coal news and updates

CBI to register PEs in missing coal files case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will register two preliminary enquiries (PEs) on Friday to probe the missing coal block allocation files. The agency's decided to file PEs instead of an FIR came after a long meeting with top coal ministry officials, in the course of which it was argued that there were "no mala fide" in the matter.

It was also submitted that if the CBI wanted to treat the missing documents as disappearance of evidence, the matter could be made a part of the 13 FIRs already registered by CBI by adding Section 201 (destruction of evidence).

During the discussion, the two sides agreed that 18-20 files related to the coal block allocations, including the minutes of screening committee meeting, remained untraceable. "It was then decided that we will first register PEs which can later be converted into a regular case," a senior officer said.

The agency is learnt to have said that they would wrap up the PE in four to six weeks and inform the Supreme Court, which is monitoring the probe.

The ministry informed the agency that three files never existed. "We sought these files on the basis of their mention in other documents. However the coal ministry has informed us that they were no such files and they never existed. We will also try to cover this aspect in our enquiry," a CBI officer said.

Meanwhile, the coal ministry said that barring four files and nearly 15 documents, it had handed over all relevant documents to the CBI.

"We were furnished a list of 157 documents which the CBI said were missing, and were needed for its investigation. We have retrieved 139 files/documents including the recommendation made by MP Vijay Darda for the Bander coal block in Maharashtra, allocated to AMR Iron and Steel and referred by the Prime Minister's Office. We have handed over more than 80 documents, and 15 more are ready to be handed over to the CBI," a top coal ministry official told The Indian Express.

These documents were recovered from the premises of Coal India and its subsidiary, Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Ltd (CMPDIL) in Ranchi following an intense search during the past 15 days. The ministry is understood to be preparing to send a fresh missive to the CBI giving its latest position on the recovery of documents, and corroborating them with the seizure memos of the agency.

The official said the four files that were yet to be traced included the final minutes of the 26th screening committee meeting held on December 7, 2007. The ministry's search committee has managed to secure only the draft minutes of the meeting from other ministries.

After failing to trace the file containing the report of Coal India's experts on the financial strength of the applicant companies, the ministry officials recently interviewed the experts, and have compiled a four-page note based "on their recollection" of the assessment of the companies.

Another file that is understood to be still missing is the Kamal Sponge Steel and Power's feedback form, and also the presentation made by the firm before the 36th screening committee meeting held on December 7, 2008.

Source: The Indian Express