A seven-member panel of the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Saturday examined the alleged coal block irregularities in Orissa.
The PAC held discussions with top state officials as also of the Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd, a unit of state-run Coal India, in Bhubaneswar.
It also examined papers such as recommendations made by the state government, chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s letter to the Centre and other records relating to coal block allocations.
“The PAC, during the examination or records, came across certain facts like the Union government’s allocating more number of coal blocks than recommended number of firms by the state government. Similarly, it also found the state government public sector unit Orissa Mining Corporation entering into a joint venture with a private firm for raising of coal from its leased mines,” panel member and senior Biju Janata Dal leader Bhartruhari Mahtab told reporters.
Mr Mahatab added that the PAC will also look into the sale of Rampia and dip side Rampia coal block by Navabharat Power to Essar Power.
The PAC held talks with chief secretary B.K. Patnaik and other top state officials. “On our side, we provided whatever information the PAC wanted from us. The state had made 16 recommendations. However, the Union government has allocated 33 blocks in Orissa to 56 companies. In some cases, the two to three companies have been entangled with single firms recommended by the Orissa government,” the chief secretary told reporters after the discussion with the PAC panel.