In light of the Supreme Court ruling that all coal-block allocations between 1993 and 2010 were illegal, CITU today demanded that all such blocks be returned to Coal India Ltd and also called for those responsible for the scam to be brought to book.
"The government should ensure return of all the coal- blocks to Coal India Ltd for further development, mining and production operation while also taking concrete steps to bring those responsible for the coal scam to book," said Tapan Sen, general secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).
In a release here, he has demanded that Coal India should be empowered and strengthened with adequate financial, operational and functional autonomy to act as the only nodal agency to develop, mine, produce and deliver coal, both to industries and the common people.
He said that the legislation amending and diluting the Coal Mines Nationalisation Act to permit such allocation of coal blocks to specific industries for captive use has been proved to be "self-defeating".
Meanwhile, the All-India Coal Workers' Federation (AICWF) has said that the judgement vindicates the desperation to override the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
"AICWF calls upon the people of India and coal workers in particular to remain vigilant against any move to regularise the illegality by changing the Constitution and existing legislation.
"On behalf of the coal workers, I warn the government that any such move would tantamount to provocation for inviting immediate and spontaneous strike in the coal industry," said Jibon Roy, general secretary AICWF.
He added that the decision to dismantle the Planning Commission is the latest example of how such violations in the end take away even the 'mirror' which has been offered by the Constitution to visualise the economic health, both of the nation and of governance.
