No coal scam, had PM Manmohan Singh used authority: former coal secretary P C Parakh

New Delhi: At a time when his former media advisor’s book has created political ripples, former coal secretary P C Parakh has embarrassed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by saying that he was heading a government in which he had "little" political authority.

In his book "Crusader or Conspirator? Coalgate and other Truths", Parakh, who retired as Coal secretary in December 2005, recalled an incident when he had gone to meet the Prime Minister on a farewell call after submitting his resignation to the then Cabinet Secretary B K Chaturvedi.

68-year-old Parakh, who retired from the service in December 2005, said whatever forward movement was achieved by him during his stint as coal secretary was only when the prime minister was in-charge of the ministry.

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"When I was in coal ministry, the Prime Minister gave me full support. Whatever changes had come in the Coal ministry it is because of Prime Minister. He also supported reforms in the coal ministry. We were able to get a lot of work done because of proactive role of Manmohan Singh," he told reporters.

Asked whether the multicrore rupees coal scam could have been prevented if the reforms had been pushed through, Parakh said, "Yes, if the Prime Minister had used his authority, it (scam) could have (been avoided)."

Various Coal ministers including Shibu Soren and Dasari Narayana Rao besides MPs cutting across the political class scuttled reforms in the coal ministry that could have prevented the coal scam despite full support of prime minister Manmohan Singh in pushing reforms, former coal secretary P C Parakh, added.

"These two ministers resolutely opposed my proposal to put coal blocks to open bidding. Unfortunately, the Prime Minister was not able to control his ministers in the proposal that I made in 2004...I saw in the Ministry how Chief Executives and Directors of PSEs are appointed," he told reporters here.

"Money is openly asked for appointment of directors and CEOs. I saw MPs becoming blackmailers and extortionists. They blackmailed officers, they blackmailed CEOs of government companies. I saw how ministers have reversed the decision of the Prime Minister, who had agreed to putting coal blocks in Internet-based auctions," he said after release of his book "Crusader or Conspirator? Coalgate and other Truths".

"We have created a situation were it is difficult for civil servants to work with honesty and dignity," he said.

Parakh, who has been accused in one of the FIRs by the CBI probing Colagate, said auction of coal blocks in open market and e-marketing of coal, as proposed, would have ensured that there was no scam.

"Fortunately for me, the Prime Minister again became Coal Minister and I could implement the e-marketing order.

Asked about the FIR against him in connection with allocation of Talabira-II coal block in Odhisa, Parakh said

"CBI said there was a conspiracy, I am not saying there was a conspiracy, but if CBI thought there was a conspiracy then conspiracy has to be between people who take decisions.

"So you had Prime Minister who has finally taken the decision. So, if I am a part of conspiracy he(PM) has to be a part of the conspiracy," he said.

Parakh was named in an FIR by the CBI with Kumarmanglam Birla for allegedly entering into a conspiracy to get the coal block allocation in favour of Hindalco.

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The book, released by retired Supreme Court judge G S Singhvi and former Cabinet Secretary T S R Subramanian, was in the making for last two-three years and has nothing to do with the timing of Lok Sabha polls, he said.

"I have been writing the book for last two-three years. But after the CAG report and CBI probe, I have just added one chapter to it," Parakh said in reply to a question about his book being released during elections and coming close on the heels of launch of the controversial book by Sanjaya Baru, former Media Advisor to the Prime Minister.

"I was rewarded by a raid by the CBI. My book is about degradation in our political system and civil services," Parakh, who was accompanied by his wife and daughter, said.

Parakh said he had complained to the Central Vigilance Commissioner about the "blackmailing" by MPs. "I did tell the CVC about it (blackmailing by MPs and politicians for preferable allocation of coal blocks). I am not aware what happened after that. Nothing had happened during my tenure," the former coal secretary said.

The author refused to give any political colour to his book and said the book is not about Congress or on coal blocks. "It is about various political parties...In the process, it has mentioned that the Prime Minister could not implement the decision he took."

"My book has information about all political people. It is not only against Congress party but it is against the entire political system," he said.

Continuing with his comments on the ministers, Parakh said "I have very clearly written in the book that Ministers had reversed the decision of the prime minister.

"Now, you can draw your inference. Ministers had reversed the decision of the prime minister both in respect of coalblock allocation and auction", he said.

He said there was no breach of privilege by writing the book as he had obtained documents under RTI. "This (CAG figure) is an estimated figure, not the exact figure, and so it could be marginally more or marginally less."

He also said that during the meeting to discuss competitive bidding and before he made a proposal in this regard for coal blocks, very few industry representatives supported this way of allocation of the blocks.

About the CBI probe, the former coal secretary said "it is my assessment that the CBI investigation in this case will go nowhere."