File picture of the Talcher coalmine

Bhubaneswar, July 3: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has sought details from the Odisha government about its recommendations to the central government during 2006-09 for allotment of coal blocks to private and public sector companies.

The CBI is conducting the probe following leakage of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) draft report that the Centre had shown undue benefits to the tune of Rs 10.67 lakh crore by allocating coal blocks to nearly 100 private firms and public sector units without going through the process of bidding.

The CBI has written to Odisha’s chief secretary, seeking details of the recommendations made by the state government pertaining to the period. The chief secretary, in turn, has sought reports from the energy and industries departments.

“We will extend all co-operation to the CBI and provide all information required by the investigating agency,” said Odisha chief secretary Bijay Patnaik.

Steel and mines secretary Deoranjan Kumar Singh said the information was being compiled with.

Bijay Patnaik

An energy department official admitted that the department had recommended allotment of coal blocks to a few independent power producers, who had signed MoUs with the Odisha government for establishment of thermal power plants in the state. He, however, refused to divulge the companies’ names.

Official sources said the Union coal ministry had allotted 32 coal blocks located in Odisha to 56 private and public sector companies during 2006-09. The three state public sector undertaking — Odisha Hydro Power Corporation, Odisha Power Generation Corporation and Odisha Mining Corporation — are among the beneficiaries.

Sources said: “No coal block has been leased out to any company so far, though allotments have been done. The state government has not granted permission for mining as certain clarifications are pending from the Centre.”

“We have decided to seek clarifications from the coal ministry how to proceed in the matter in the present circumstances”, said the steel and mines secretary.

Sources said the Odisha government was reluctant to grant permission for leasing out coal blocks as most of the allottees were from outside the state and the allotment had been made without any consultation with it.

In February last year, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik expressed his resentment over the manner in which coal blocks were allotted by the Centre without consulting the concerned states and sought review of the decision.