Darda wanted plant out of Maharashtra

Congress MP Vijay Darda,who is under the scanner for his alleged role in coal block allocation scam,wanted to shift the power plant from Maharashtra after his firm got the coal block

Congress MP Vijay Darda,who is under the scanner for his alleged role in coal block allocation scam,wanted to shift the power plant from Maharashtra after his firm got the coal block.

The CBI has registered five FIRs against private companies and is investigating Dardas JLD Yavatmal Energy Ltd. The agency suspects that Darda was trying to sell the mine in 2009 at a hefty price.

Dardas were allocated Fatehpur East at Chhattisgarh in January 2008 for their power plant which was to be completed by October 2013. CBI sources said that during one of the review meetings of coal blocks undertaken by the screening committee,JLD informed that it wanted to change the site of the power plant. The chairman of the committee raised objection as the coal blocks were allocated to JLD for development of a power plant in a joint venture. The CBI,which is soon going to question Darda,suspect that JLD was under pressure from Abhijeet groups Manoj Jayaswal to shift the site.

As per the details of the screening committee meeting held under the chairmanship of Special Secretary Coal,the panel remarked: The block was issued on the basis of application made by the allottee. State government also recommended that location. Now it is not understood why the allottee JLD is proposing to change the site from one state to another8230; The Maharashtra government also expressed reservation on the decision of JLD to shift the location of the power plant,said officials.

Officials said the Coal Ministry received applications from 53 companies for allocation of Fatehpur East coal block in 2007. The 35th screening committee recommended allocation of Fatehpur East block at Chhattisgarh jointly to JLD Yavatmal,RKM Powergen Pvt Ltd,Visa Power Ltd,Green Infrastructure Pvt Ltd and Vandana Vidyut Ltd for their proposed power plants in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh,respectively.

The allegations against JLD in CBIs FIR is that they misrepresented facts in their application in order to obtain undue benefits. According to the FIR,JLD in order to embellish its claim for allocation of coal block,fraudulently claimed in its application that it has been jointly promoted,controlled and managed by Lokmat Group and IDFC Ltd and claimed net worth of Rs 2544.19 crore of IDFC Ltd and Rs 73.38 crore of Lokmat Group in its support8230;The group companies of JLD had previously been allocated four coal blocks during 1999-2005. However,the company fraudulently and willfully concealed the fact of previous allocations to the group companies with an object to avoid scrutiny on this count which would have weakened its claim.