Coal Block cancel costs RS 50,000 Cr loss to Chhattisgarh: Cong

     Raipur, December 04, 2012: Chhattisgarh Congress today accusing the state BJP government of causing loss to the state exchequer of Rs 50,000 crore by allotting coal block to BJP MP Ajay Sancheti.

     “The state BJP government has caused a loss to the state exchequer of Rs 50,000 crore by allotting the Bhatgaon Extension I and II coal blocks to unjustified and lack of experience company of Ajay Sancheti, who is close to BJP President Nitin Gadkari,” PCC President Nand Kumar Patel and Congress Legislature Party leader Ravindra Choubey said in a joint statement here.

     Had it been allotted to an experienced company and if the mining was started in time, the Centre would not have cancelled the allotment of Coal Blocks to the Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation (CMDC), they said.

     Raman Singh as the Energy Minister and the Chairman of the CMDC are responsible for the current situation, the Congress party stated in a statement.

    Both the leaders also demanded winding up of CMDC and a CBI probe into the coal scam in the state.

      In view of the “unsatisfactory progress” in development of coal mine and taking into account all factors, including “misrepresentation” of facts “Shankarpur (Bhatgaon-II) and Extension coal block allocated to M/S Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation Limited is de-allocated,” a Coal Ministry order has said on November 30, 2012.

     The Central Government also forfeited 50 per cent of the bank guarantee of the Company and said “The Company shall not be eligible for allocation of coal block in lieu of the de-allocated coal blocks.”