Former coal minister Dasari Narayana Rao, who has been questioned by CBI in connection with alleged irregularities in allocation of Talabira-II coal block in Odisha, today said the prime minister could have removed him from the post had he taken any wrong decision.
Rao also said that a final decision on any coal ministry related-work was taken by cabinet ministers Shibu Soren and prime minister Manmohan Singh, who held the portfolios at different times.
Rao and Soren have been also accused by former coal secretary PC Parakh in his recent book on 'Coalgate' for scuttling reforms in the coal ministry.
Also read: Coalgate Scam: CBI to question former coal secy PC Parakh
"His allegation is when he proposed the bidding (for coal blocks allocation), I refused it. So I have not cooperated with it. Who am I not to cooperate? I was a minister of state. There is a cabinet minister. Sometimes Shibu Soren is there. Sometimes prime minister is there," Rao said.
The former Rajya Sabha member said there were certain "practical problems" in introducing new things in the ministry.
"Whenever he wanted some new things to be introduced, there were certain problems, practical problems. So I had to point out those problems. I put it to the prime minister or to the cabinet minister. So if these problems were not right problems, immediately the minister could have taken a decision.
"Suppose if I am wrong, the prime minister could have thrown me away. Why he did not do it?" he asked.
Rao said there are agencies who can question any decision made by him or the prime minister with regard to the coal ministry.
"The prime minister's decision is final as per the government's order. If somebody wants to question it, there are the organisations or agencies. They have to decide whether we discussed these things (practical problems on implementing Parakh's decision) with the higher-ups or not. The prime minister is the final authority (for any decision)," Rao said.
The former coal minister added that allegations such as he took money for appointment of chairman and managing directors of some public sector undertakings, as made by Parakh in his book, were false.
"He can write a book or he can make a film. No problem. There are some false allegations like some CMD asking me or my secretary or my assistant asking for money. That is a wrong allegation. I have appointed so many chairmen. But no chairman came to me," Rao, who has also been a film director and producer, said.
66-year-old Rao was minister of state for coal between 2004 and 2006 and in a second term between 2006 and 2008. He was also questioned by the CBI late last month about the allocation of Talabira-II coal block to Hindalco despite the screening committee giving it to public sector undertaking (PSU) Neyveli Lignite Limited .
Parakh was on May 1 and 2 questioned by the CBI officials in connection with the case. 69-year-old Parakh, who retired as coal secretary in December 2005, has been accused of abusing his official position to grant the coal block to Hindalco, an Aditya Birla Group company, in a CBI FIR.
CBI had last year registered a case against Parakh, Kumar Mangalam Birla and unnamed officials of Hindalco and the coal ministry.
Birla and Hindalco have denied allegations of irregularities.
The agency has alleged that during 2005, these persons had entered into a criminal conspiracy and the then public servant (Parakh) abused his position and showed undue favour to the Odisha-based industry in allocation of Talabira II and Talabira III coal blocks.
Hindalco stock price
On May 05, 2014, Hindalco Industries closed at Rs 138.60, up Rs 6.35, or 4.80 percent. The 52-week high of the share was Rs 147.00 and the 52-week low was Rs 83.05.
The company's trailing 12-month (TTM) EPS was at Rs 7.98 per share as per the quarter ended December 2013. The stock's price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio was 17.37. The latest book value of the company is Rs 162.00 per share. At current value, the price-to-book value of the company is 0.86.
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