CBI allowed to quiz ex-coal secy

The government has finally given a nod to question former coal secretary H C Gupta,presently a member of the Competition Commission of India

The government has finally given a nod to question former coal secretary H C Gupta,presently a member of the Competition Commission of India,in connection with the coal block allocation scam.

The CBI request to question Gupta was earlier turned down by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs,following which the probe agency provided more information on the alleged role of Gupta in the scam. Elaborating on his role,the CBI had said that his questioning was important as he was the Secretary between 2006 to 2009,a period which has come under the scanner.

The CBI added that they wanted to confront Gupta with the decision of screening committee. He will also be questioned on the role of the members of the screening committee and state government officials. It is important to know whether he took the decisions under pressure or direction from anyone. We will soon decide a date to summon him for formal questioning, explained a CBI official.

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The CBI said that during Guptas tenure 68 coal blocks were allocated to 151 companies and files of some of them have gone missing.

The BJP demanded a probe into the role of Prime Ministers Office in the alleged irregularities.

BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said,The flames of coal block allocation scam has reached the doorstep of the then MoS Dasari Narayan Rao whose Cabinet minister was Manmohan Singh,who was the final authority for allocation of coal blocks. We want to know when will the PM own his responsibility in this case…The way the CBI has been denied permission to quiz Gupta,it is clear that efforts are being made to cover-up the scam.

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