“Crusader or Conspirator?” Deals new blow to the PM

 

Retired Coal Secretary says Manmohan Singh’s inability to take on vested interests led to the so-called Coalgate” scandal

NEW DELHI, April 14 (Reuters): A new book accuses Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of being weak and unable to stamp out corruption on his watch, the second recent attack by an insider that undermines the Congress party as it seeks re-election despite trailing in opinion polls.

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has cast the world’s largest ever election as a battle between its dynamic and assertive leader Narendra Modi and the relatively ineffective incumbent premier Manmohan Singh.

That impression was underlined in a book, published on Monday, called “Crusader or Conspirator? Coalgate and Other Truths” by P.C. Parakh, who retired as coal secretary in 2005. It said Singh’s inability to take on vested interests led to the so-called “Coalgate” scandal, which rocked his premiership.

It was the second book in the last week to portray 81-year-old Singh, prime minister since 2004, as a well-intentioned man of high personal integrity but one often unable to assert his authority. The other, by a former media adviser to Singh, was greeted with glee by the BJP, and the party is expected to seize on the Coalgate book to try to land another blow at a crucial time.

“SOME RESIST, OTHERS SUCCUMB”
The Coalgate scandal erupted in 2012 after the public auditor questioned the government’s awarding of mining concessions without competitive bidding, which it said unduly benefited chosen private and state companies and potentially cost the treasury billions of dollars in lost revenues.

Parakh said that Singh, though keen to introduce open bidding, could not tackle resistance from coal ministers in his administration. Parakh said he himself came under pressure from people interested in acquiring coal blocks.

“Pressures come in the form of enticements such as post-retirement assignments, partnership in business, bribery, blackmail or pure intimidation. Pressures also come from friends and relations,” Parakh wrote in the book. “Some can resist these pressures. Others succumb,” he said, adding that at no time did the prime minister’s office make recommendations or exert pressure in favour of any party. Singh has consistently denied his government did anything wrong, blaming the delay in introducing competitive bidding on resistance from coal-rich states ruled by opposition parties. He has said the findings of the state auditor in the 2012 report were “clearly disputable”.

 

Nothing to hide in coal
allocation, asserts PMO

New Delhi, April 14 (IANS): The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Monday said the matter relating to exploitation of coal reserves was under judicial scrutiny and the UPA government has nothing to hide in the matter.

“This matter is under judicial scrutiny and the government is assisting the investigating agency on the same. Several statements have been made on the subject in the past including in the parliament also which are in public domain. The law is taking its course. The government has nothing to hide,” the PMO said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, former coal secretary P. C. Parakh has alleged that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did little to rein in ministers responsible for coal allocations while launching his book “Crusader or Conspirator? Coalgate and other Truths”.