Coal block allocation poicy cent percent correct: Jaiswal

Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal accused BJP of having a design in demanding en masse cancellation of coal blocks to actually benefit the private companies and further its political gains at the same time.

Asked about the allocation policy, he said "it was a hundred per cent correct policy. There could not be a better policy than this".

On a day, when CBI registered five cases in connection wih the alleged scam in allocation of coal mines and conducted searches in nearly 30 places across the country, Jaiswal indicated more action was in the offing.

"CBI has conducted the raids...I am not the spokesperson of CBI...We hope there will be more against whom CBI will take action," Jaiswal, who was fielded by Congress to counter the Opposition attack on the issue, said at the AICC briefing.

He was replying to a question regarding the alleged link of Congress MP Vijay Darda with one company against which CBI has registered a case.

"If any one has resorted to such wrongdoing, then not only his coal block allocation will be cancelled but he will be in jail. I can guarantee you," he said when asked about BJP's charge that coal blocks have been allotted to all and sundry including those in hosiery and dairy business.

Asked why the coal blocks allocated long back are yet to produce coal, the minister remarked "mining coal is not like opening a restaurant" and involved lot of processes which take time".

The Coal Minister said if the licenes of coal blocks are cancelled without completing the process of verficiation and even before the report of IMG is out, the private companies could immediately move the court and get relief.

"It is here that we apprehend that BJP is making this demand with a design". (MORE)