Under attack for losing important records pertaining to allocation of 164 coal blocks to private firms, the Coal ministry on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that it has set up an inter-ministerial committee to locate the missing files.
The ministry further said that the inter-ministerial committee under the chairmanship of Additional Secretary (Coal) have already met thrice to track the missing records. ?It is possible that many of these papers are available in the records of the various minstries/departments and government bodies.?
?The mandate given to the committee is to examine and review non-availibility of any file or document and suggest appropriate action for locating the same…The committee has also been directed to accomplish the exercise as fas as possible in a month’s time,? the ministry stated.
Conceding that seven files have disappeared, the Centre in its 17-page affidavit to the apex court said that out of 43 files, 21 have already been delivered the CBI, 15 are available to be handed over and ?efforts are being made to locate the rest seven files?.
Allegations have been levelled against coal blocks allocated to the government companies through government dispensation route to the extent that these blocks have been diverted to private companies through joint venture agreements. The disappearance of the files had also lead to accusations of ?destruction of evidence? by the Opposition, and a demand for a clarification from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who held direct charge of the coal ministry from 2006-2009. Some of the files missing relate to allocations of coal fields during this period.
The CBI has, meanwhile, asserted in the Supreme Court that no prior sanction was required to prosecute bureaucrats in the scam, a stand contrary to that of government.
In a six-page affidavit, the CBI contended that no sanction or approval of the government is required in court monitored cases and referred to the apex court’s judgement in 2G scam in which time period for government was stipulated in granting sanction in other cases.
Countering the stand of the Centre that even in a court-monitored probe prior sanction is required to investigate government officials in a corruption case, the CBI submitted that making prior sanction mandatory would amount to suspension of court’s power to monitor investigation.