Ex-CM manipulated coal block allotment: Somaiya

Senior Congress leader and former chief minister Ashok Chavan has been accused of manipulating allocation of coal blocks, and granting them to private companies.

Senior Congress leader and former chief minister Ashok Chavan has been accused of manipulating allocation of coal blocks, and granting them to private companies.

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BJP secretary Kirit Somaiya on Thursday alleged that then industry minister Chavan ensured that private companies got rich coal blocks between 2006 and 2008 even as the state generation company was deprived of them despite being needy.

“Four rich mines [out of seven] were allotted to the state mining corporation, which transferred them to private companies that did not have the compulsion to sell coal only for power generation,” Somaiya told the media, adding that he has forwarded a complaint in this regard to chief minister Prithviraj Chavan.

Ashok Chavan dismissed allegations as baseless. “Somaiya has the habit of making wild allegations. He should know that the Centre allots coal blocks, and I did not play in role in this.”