Centre to place views on coal blocks before PAC by Sept 14

Amid furore over coal blocks allocation, the government will place its views before Parliament's Public Accounts Committee by September 14 on the observations made by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

"The coal ministry will submit its comments to the PAC on CAG's observations on coal blocks allocations by September 14," said a top coal ministry official.

The PAC, chaired by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Murli Manohar Joshi, has decided to examine the government auditor's report on coal block allocations, along with three other latest reports of the CAG.

The ministry is likely to contend before the Parliamentary panel that the estimates by the government auditor should not have been done in the manner it was made.

The CAG, in its recent report, has estimated undue benefits to the tune of Rs 1.86 lakh crore to private players on account of coal blocks allocation to them without resorting to auction.

With Congress and BJP locking horns over the CAG report on coal inside Parliament, its ripples are likely to be felt in the meetings of the PAC when the issue is taken up for scrutiny.