)
Former Coal Secretary P C Parakh today claimed that the multi-crore coal block allocation scam could have been avoided if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had asserted in pushing reforms including open bidding of coal blocks.
"Yes, if the Prime Minister had used his authority behind the reforms proposal it (scam) could have (been avoided)," Parakh told reporters after release of his book "Crusader or Conspirator? Coalgate and other Truths".
Parakh, who has been accused in one of the FIRs by the CBI probing Colagate, was responding to questions from reporters whether the scam could have been avoided if reforms had been pushed through by the government.
Auction of coal blocks in open market and e-marketing of coal, as proposed, would have ensured that there was no scam.
Asked about the FIR against him in connection with allocation of Talabira-II coal block in Odhisa, Parakh said "CBI said there was a conspiracy, I am not saying there was a conspiracy, but if CBI thought there was a conspiracy then conspiracy has to be between people who take decisions.
"So you had Prime Minister who has finally taken the decision. So, if I am a part of conspiracy he(PM) has to be a part of the conspiracy," he said.
Parakh was named in an FIR by the CBI with Kumarmanglam Birla for allegedly entering into a conspiracy to get the coal block allocation in favour of Hindalco.
On undermining the authority of the Prime Minister, Parakh said besides ministers including Shibu Soren and D S Rao, MPs cutting across the party lines were responsible for scuttling the reforms in the coal ministry.
68-year-old Parakh, who retired from the service in December 2005, however, also said whatever forward movement was achieved by him during his stint as Coal Secretary was only when the Prime Minister was incharge of the ministry.
"When I was in Coal ministry, Prime Minister gave me full support. Whatever changes had come in the Coal ministry it is because of Prime Minister. He also supported reforms in the Coal ministry. We were able to get a lot of work done because of proactive role of Manmohan Singh," he said.
The book, released by retired Supreme Court judge G S Singhvi and former Cabinet Secretary T S R Subramanian today, was in the making for last two-three years and has nothing to do with the timing of Lok Sabha polls, he said.
"I have been writing the book for last two-three years. But after the CAG report and CBI probe, I have just added one chapter to it," Parakh said in reply to a question about his book being released during elections and coming close on the heels of launch of the controversial book by Sanjaya Baru, former Media Advisor to the Prime Minister.
