Indian coal mining scam - Cong alleges scam in Chhattisgarh -

http://www.steelguru.com/indian_news/Indian_coal_mining_scam_Cong_alleges_scam_in_Chhattisgarh/281429.html 

Press Trust of India reported that the opposition Congress alleged a scam in the allocation of coal mines in Chhattisgarh and sought a CBI probe, while Chief Minister Raman Singh contended that his government had no role in the coal block allotment.

Chhattisgarh Congress chief Nandkumar Patel told reporters that the state government had "conspired" to allot Bhatgaon-2 and Bhatgaon-2 extension coal blocks to Nagpur-based SMS Infrastructure Ltd and Solar Explosive Ltd, which caused a loss of INR 1,052 crore to the exchequer.

However, brushing aside the charges against his government's role in the alleged coal scam, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said in Indore that the allotment of coal blocks was the responsibility of the Union government, the mining department as well as the Screening Committee and that the state government had no role in it.

The chief minister told reporters that "Coal block allocation is not the prerogative of the state...It was Government of India, the Mining department and the Screening Committee which used to decide and finalise it.”

The Chief Minister was reacting to a query whether the two coal blocks were approved on by his government.

Mr Singh said that any state government could only recommend to the Centre about alloting coal blocks. He said that "It was surprising that the alloted six coal blocks of Chattisgarh were not recommended by my government and without any application.”

Source - Press Trust of India