All efforts on to find untraceable coal files: PM

Facing all-round attack, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said all efforts are being made to locate the untraceable files related to coal block allocations and CBI will be asked to investigate if these efforts do not fructify.
In a statement in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in view of demands by almost all parties, Singh insisted that the government has nothing to hide and its intent to facilitate probe in the coal block allocations should not be questioned.
He said the government will abide by the timeline set by the Supreme Court for handing over of all the files there should be no "hasty" conclusion that something is "fishy".

"I would like to re-emphasise that government is making all efforts to locate the files requisitioned by CBI. At this stage, it would be premature to say that files are missing. A vast majority of files have been handed over and that is the factual position.
"However, disregarding this, some members have drawn conclusion that there is something fishy and that the government is hiding. The government has nothing to hide. The fact that more than 1,50,000 pages have been handed over to CBI clearly shows that our intention to facilitate the investigation cannot be called into questioning," said Singh.

Singh said, "If the government is unable to locate some of those papers, a report will be filed with CBI for a thorough probe."

He said if the record in question is indeed found missing, government will carry out a thorough investigation and ensure that the guilty are booked.
In the Rajya Sabha, Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley asked the Prime Minister as to what steps the government was taking to locate the missing coal files and who in the government was going to take the responsibility for the missing files.
Members were seeking clarifications on Coal Minister's statement made earlier in the House on missing coal files.