A day after the union government tabled the report of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on issues related to allocation of coal blocks, power and civil aviation, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has called a meeting to take up the report for further investigations on August 23.
The BJP has demanded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should take responsibility for the allocation of coal blocks to private companies and he should resign from the top post. The BJP leadership has also planned to demand a debate in the ongoing monsoon session on the state of coal sector in order to corner the union government on the alleged coal block allocation scam.
“We have received the report and we will take it up for discussion with the PAC on August 23,” said Murli Manohar Joshi, the PAC chairman. Although there is division within National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on the issue of demanding resignation of Prime Minister as BJP ally Janata Dal (United) is not in favour of demanding PM to resign. However, BJP leaders are trying to corner the union government with the help of other opposition parties, mainly AIADMK and Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
The BJP leadership has demanded that the union government should de-allocate all the coal blocks, especially those given to private companies, and these coal blocks should be auctioned. BJP leaders have alleged that even though the union government had decided in 2004 that coal blocks will be auctioned, the government deliberately delayed passing the Bill in Parliament and rules have not been formed till now.
The BJP along with opposition parties are trying to single out the government in Parliament by raising the issues of corruption in coal blocks, power sector, civil aviation and 2G spectrum allocation scam which is already being probed by the CBI and joint parliamentary committee of the Parliament.
The NDA leaders also want that the central bureau of investigation should investigate the allocation of coal blocks and it should give its report Supreme Court and not to the government.
“What is the point of CBI investigation if it continues to report to the same government which allocated coal blocks? We want the Supreme Court should intervene and the CBI should submit its report to Supreme Court,” said senior NDA leader.
