Amid the low stock position at the electricity generating plants, state-owned CIL has asked its subsidiaries to refrain from conducting any further e-auction of coal, except special forward e-auction for the power sector, till the situation stabilises. The development assumes significance as the supply of coal is being prioritised to the power sector to replenish the dwindling stock in the wake of reports of an electricity crisis looming large. "In view of the current low stock position at the powerhouse end, supply of coal is being prioritised to the power sector to replenish the dwindling stock...coal companies are advised to refrain from conducting of any further e-auctions of coal with the exception of special forward e-auction for the power sector, till the situation stabilises," Coal India said in a recent letter to its arms, including Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL), Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL), Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL).
If the fear of ED could drive the powerful people of today to be honest or at least be minimally corrupt, will it not be a great thing for our nation?, asks Sudhir Bisht.
The Central Bureau of Investigation will be filing a fresh case in connection with alleged irregularities in connection with allocation of coal blocks by the end of this month in which it may name a corporate and certain former officials of the Union coal ministry.
The Central Bureau of Investigation is likely to inform the Supreme Court that it has received all the relevant files related to coal block allocation scam and might recommend closure of preliminary enquiries in this regard.
The company bought peace with the Union coal ministry by agreeing to almost halve its e-auction sales at 30 million tonnes this year, to make more coal available for the fuel-starved power sector.
As per norms, sanction for prosecution of government employees accused of corruption has to be given within four months' stipulated time.
The Coal Ministry has issued show-cause to eight firms including Hindalco Industries and Mahanadi Coalfields, and sought explanation from five firms for delays in commencing production from mines allocated to them.
The Central Bureau of Investigation could question Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in connection with alleged irregularities in allocation of coal block to Hindalco as he had written a letter to the Coal Ministry after application of the Aditya Birla company was rejected in 2005.
The decision was taken by the ministry this week, a top Coal Ministry official said, while refusing to reveal the names of the companies.
Amidst ongoing efforts towards dewatering the ill-fated Bansgarha mine of Central Coalfields Limited in Jharkhand in which 14 miners are trapped, the defence ministry has been requested to send naval divers to bolster the rescue operation.
The Central Vigilance Commission has convened a meeting with Central Bureau of Investigation Director Ranjit Sinha to discuss the missing files with details of coal block allocations.
The Cabinet may on Thursday take a decision on the draft Bill for setting up the coal regulatory authority.
He is known for his paperless style of working.
Latching on to comments by former Coal Secretary P C Parakh, the opposition on Wednesday targeted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying he cannot escape responsibility in the controversial allocations as held the charge of the Coal Ministry at that time.
Arun Bhagat, former Central Bureau of Investigation additional director and Intelligence Bureau retiree tells Gyan Varma that the CBI has never been autonomous, thanks to government interference in cases involving important personalities
With a spate of clearances, including relief to companies facing delays in development of coal mines, the government is getting its act together.
The fact that the government has no specific deadline to impose this policy was revealed through a response to an RTI application in February 2017.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday made a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Rajya Sabha, accusing them of hurting investors' sentiment by repeatedly disrupting Parliament, triggering a war of words.
The central government has admitted before the Supreme Court that 189 out of the 236 documents sought by the Central Bureau of Investigation, which is probing coal block allocation scam, is "not-available".
Under attack for several files pertaining to coal block allocations going missing, Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal said that he had asked officials to locate the missing papers by Tuesday and hinted the Central Bureau of Investigation may be asked to look into the case after that.
In one of the first steps towards coal block re-allocation, the government has finalised the methodology to calculate coal price for e-auction and a Cabinet proposal on this is likely to be floated in a fortnight.
Central Bureau of Investigation Director Ranjit Sinha on Monday admitted before the Supreme Court that certain changes were made in the coalgate draft report on suggestions given by Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar, Attorney General G E Vanahvati and the officials of PMO and Coal Ministry.
The allocations followed two stages.
Law Minister Ashwani Kumar's fate hung in balance as the Supreme Court takes on record on Tuesday CBI Director's affidavit and the agency's status report on the coal blocks allocation scam that was shared with the minister and senior officials of PMO and Coal ministry.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has recorded statements of the then ministers of state in the coal ministry Santosh Bagrodia and Dasari Narayan Rao in connection with the coal block allocation scam.
If the PM had just chosen to behave as if there wasn't anything wrong about existing systems, he wouldn't have been in such trouble today, says Mihir S Sharma
Setting off a political bombshell, Central Bureau of Investigation Director Ranjit Sinha on Friday submitted before the Supreme Court that the agency's status report on coal allocation scam was "shared" with Law Minister Ashwani Kumar "as desired by him" and that senior officials of PMO and Coal ministry had also seen it.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has alleged that some companies which were allotted coal blocks between 2006 and 2009 had "misrepresented" facts and made "fraudulent" claims to "embellish" their applications to get the allotments.
Agency seeks details of the period when Sushilkumar Shinde headed the ministry
Unexpected discovery of huge coal reserves beneath NTPC's Karanpura plant site has led to a stand-off between the coal and power ministries.
Minster of State in the Prime Minister's Office V Narayansami today said Centre is examining demands for including coal block allocations made during national Democratic Alliance rule within purview of Central Buerau of Investigation probe.
NRW is one of the leading providers of construction and mining services with a turnover $1.35 billion in 2011-12.
Making a stinging criticism of the Central Bureau of Investigation and senior officials of the coal ministry and the Prime Minister's Office, the Supreme Court on Wednesday hauled them up for changing the "heart" of the coal-gate probe report but appeared to have given a breather for Law Minister Ashwani Kumar and the government for the time being.
In its draft report, the research agency has recommended linking the valuation of coal reserves to be put up for bidding to international prices.
Initiating the process of allocation of coal mines, the government on Monday invited proposals from PSUs for alloting 17 blocks to them, mostly for captive power plants.
So far, CBI's investigations into the coal scam are highly superficial and limited to small fishes. It is unlikely to go deeper in the political connections, a source tells rediff.com
A direction is this regard was given on Wednesday after Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal met in the presence of the secretaries of the Department of Economic Affairs and Coal Ministry
Questioning the Bharatiya Janata Party's stand, former telecom minister Arun Shourie on Saturday said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should be allowed to make a statement on coal blocks allocation controversy and said the opposition did not gain much by stalling the Parliament over the issue.
Former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Bandaru Dattatreya on Sunday said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should take 'moral responsibility' for wrongful loss to exchequer due to the coal scam.
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