Coal news and updates

Firms await clearances to coal blocks as ministry gets busy with locating files

Corporate plans of many companies are affected as the coal ministry is busy searching files and has stopped processing blocks-related applications.

Internal sources in the ministry said files related to 10 such blocks allocated to many companies including Jindal Steel & Power Ltd are awaiting clearances from coal ministry that is yet to handover 27 documents to the Central Bureau Investigation (CBI).

Documents of blocks allocated to companies like AMR Iron & Steels, Pushp Steel & Mining, Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Nigam, Adhunik Corporation, Uttam Galva Steels and J.K.Cement Ltd and ACC Ltd are waiting to be processed.

The coal ministry officials expect things to worsen if CBI files FIR for missing documents.

"There is lot of pressure on us. There have been orders from the coal secretary to locate all files and hand them over to CBI as soon as possible. All other work has come to a grinding halt," a senior coal ministry official said.

On August 29, the Attorney General of India, G E Vahanvati asked the coal ministry to locate all the files and provide the information and clarifications sought by Central Bureau of Investigation in the multi-crore coal block allocations scam within two weeks.

"There are at least 10 coal blocks like Gare Palma IV/6, Moira Madhujore and Bander for which we have to approve the mining plan that is the basis of exploration of any block. Loans are sanctioned/disbursed by banks to companies based on the mining plans. Similarly there are cases where we have to approve the mining leases. Lots of blocks are stuck for paper work, which we are unable to process," the ministry official said.

Besides missing files, the coal ministry officials are concentrating on time-bound work like preparing for court cases and replying to RTI applications while all other work is pending. About 20 people in the coal ministry are on the job looking for the files in various departments, the senior official said.

An inter-ministerial committee for searching files headed by additional secretary of coal ministry, constituting officials of Coal India, ministries of steel, power and commerce, has met six times so far.

On Tuesday, the coal ministry said it has been able to trace most of the documents demanded by CBI.

Further, update will be furnished in the next 2-3 days and a detailed report will be submitted by September 13, 2013 as directed by the Supreme Court. These documents are in the process of getting reconciled with the investigating agency, an official statement said.

What is a file:- The department of administrative reforms and pubic grievances defines a file as a collection of papers on a specific subject matter, assigned a file number and consisting of one or more of the following parts: (a) notes; (b) correspondence; (c) appendix to notes; and (d) appendix to correspondence.

Creation and maintenance:- When a file is opened it is given a relevant head and a number and an entry is made in the file register. Movement of the files has to be entered in a file movement register every time it is circulated. There are separate file registers for every calendar year.

Related files:- Related files are 'linked' and maintained mostly in the same file cover in a manner prescribed by the department of administrative reforms.

Coal ministry officials claim that the earlier custodians of files did a shoddy work, giving a tough time for the present file keepers.


Source: The Economic timnes