Ministers obstructed reforms in coal sector: PC Parakh

Embarrassments for the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance are only increasing day by day. Days after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's former media adviser Sanjaya Baru attacked the government's style of functioning in his book, former coal secretary PC Parakh has made a similar claim in his book 'Crusader or Conspirator'.

Released on Monday in a packed hall at Delhi's Constitution Club, the book talks about ministers obstructing coal sector reforms even while the PM was all for it. "The PM had supported all my proposals to reform the coal sector by bringing in an auction system for coal instead of an allocation system and introducing electronic marketing of coal," he said after the book launch.

However, the two coal ministers - Shibu Soren and Dasari Narayan Rao - did not let either proposals materialise. "After Soren's exit, e-marketing was introduced but an auction system for coal (proposed in 2004) is yet to see light of day", he said.

Parakh also revealed how a large segment of the industry had opposed the idea of an auction for coal. Members of Parliament also wrote letters against the idea. "One of these MPs was Naveen Jindal," he added. Jindal, a Congress MP and an industrialist, has been accused by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of conspiring along with Rao to obtain a coal block.

Parakh has also revealed how money was openly being sought for the appointment of directors and chief executives of PSUs, including Coal India.

Interestingly, CBI also filed an FIR against Parakh last year for allegedly favouring Hindalco in coal block allocation. An FIR was also filed against Hindalco promoter Kumar Mangalam Birla.

The book has been launched at a time when the country is going through Parliamentary polls and every such revelation gives the opposition parties a new weapon to attack the Congress.

However, Parakh said his book is not against Congress or any political party. "It is against the political system". On the timing of the launch, he said it is only a coincidence.

According to Parakh, the book is about the degradation in the political and civil service systems. "It shows how we initiate our civil servants into corruption". The book has made creative suggestions and it is not meant to criticise anyone. It is aimed to motivate civil servants to work honestly, he said.

The book was released by GS Singhvi, former Supreme Court Judge and TSR Subramanian, former Cabinet Secretary.