BJP questions PM's role after CAG report on 'Coalgate'

New Delhi, Aug 17 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday accused the UPA Government of allotting coal blocks to persons not qualifying for power generation, and demanded an answer from Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh for he was in charge of the Coal Ministry when the losses were incurred.

BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy said that his party would like to know an answer from the Prime Minister of the charges, and accused the UPA Government of looting the nation.

"This is not only a scam, but it is a murder and loot just under the nose and in the ministry headed by the Prime Minister. The Bharatiya Janata Party would certainly like to know an answer from the Prime Minister of the charges, which has been made by the CAG on the report tabled in Parliament today which says there has been a lot and a scam of 1,85,000 crores in the coal block allotment," he said.

Rudy said the CAG report on coal block allocation clearly mentions that the government has made a loss of Rs. 1.85 lakh crores.

"The CAG has submitted its report in both the houses of Parliament. And in this report, which is on the allotment of coal blocks across the country, the CAG has said that the government or the exchequer has made a loss of 1,85,000 crores," said Rudy.

"The Bharatiya Janata Party and the entire opposition has been alleging and this is an allegation which has been proven by the CAG's report now. During the tenure of the Prime Minister as Coal Minister between the period of 2005-09, when the Prime Minister of this country was the Minister of Coal, 159 blocks were allotted to private parties and they were done without an auction," he added.

Rudy further alleged that in 159 blocks were allotted in the last seven years to individuals, who did not qualify for power generation.

"The government had taken a decision in 2006 to auction all the blocks. Even a law was introduced in the Parliament, but the law was kept pending from 2006-10. And the final rules were notified in 2012. In these seven years, 159 blocks were allotted to individuals, who did not qualify for power generation or had the capacity to extract these coal blocks," he said. (ANI)