Congress alleges Rs 6,000 crore coal rip-off in Gujarat, seeks time-bound SC probe

By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday alleged a coal rip-off of Rs 6,000 crore in Gujarat whereby coal meant for small and medium trade was diverted to industries in different states and demanded a time-bound investigation by a siting choose of the Supreme Court.

The opposition occasion stated the probe ought to examine the function of all of the 4 chief ministers of Gujarat within the final 14 years when the alleged rip-off occurred.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi demanded solutions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the “missing” 60 lakh tonnes of coal.

“60 lakh tonnes of coal ‘missing’! Will the Prime ‘Friend’ Minister say anything on this coal scam,” Gandhi requested in a tweet in Hindi.

He cited a information report alleging that 60 lakh tonnes of coal was lacking in Gujarat, terming it a Rs 6000 crore rip-off.

“We demand that a time bound investigation should be constituted under the sitting judge of Supreme Court. This investigation should investigate involvement of all the 4 chief ministers of Gujarat from 2008 till date (Narendra Modi, Anandiben Patel, Vijay Rupani and BhupendraBhai Patel) in this Rs 6,000 crore scam,” Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh informed reporters.

He alleged {that a} coal rip-off of Rs 6,000 crore has come to mild in Gujarat, whereby within the final 14 years, as a substitute of giving coal to the small and medium stage industries of the state, businesses of the Gujarat authorities have bought it to the industries of different states at the next value.

He alleged that coal extracted from numerous mines of Coal India didn’t attain the industries for which it was extracted.

In final 14 years, 60 lakh tonnes of coal have been despatched from the mines of Coal India within the identify of merchants and small industries of Gujarat, the Congress chief alleged and stated its common value is Rs 1,800 crore at Rs 3,000 per tonne, however as a substitute of promoting it to merchants and industries, it has been bought in different states at a value of Rs 8,000 to 10,000/tonne.

Vallabh stated it’s attention-grabbing to notice that Narendra Modi (Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014) was additionally holding the cost of Industry, Mines and Minerals Department of Government of Gujarat (December 2007 to December 2012) after which Vijay Rupani (August 2016 to September 2021) and Bhupendra Patel (Sept 2021 until date) additionally saved the Industry, Mines and Minerals Department of Government of Gujarat with them.

He requested why within the final 14 years, when this rip-off occurred, for greater than 10 years the chief minister of Gujarat was additionally holding cost of Industry, Mines and Minerals division.

“Is this a mere coincidence or an experiment,” he requested.

“ED, SFIO, Income Tax, FIU and other agencies should register a case and investigate on this Rs 6,000 Crore scam as it is possible that the agencies (SNA) have created fake bills for this game and evaded Income Tax, Sales Tax and GST,” Vallabh demanded.

The Congress chief stated the UPA Government had formulated a coverage in 2007 to offer good high quality coal at reasonably priced charges to the small industries throughout the nation.

Under this coverage, coal is extracted each month from West Coal Field and South-East Coal Field of Coal India for Small and Medium Industries of Gujarat.

He stated the industries within the identify of which coal was extracted from Coal India within the paperwork didn’t attain these industries.

“Why only few private agencies were appointed as state nominated agency year after year whereas in other states respective departments of state governments were doing the task assigned to the nominated agency,” Vallabh additionally requested.