New Delhi: Former Coal Secretary PC Parakh in a point by point rebuttal of the FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation said that no undue favours were meted out to Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla and allotment of the coal mines to Hindalco were done by the screening committee.
"The screening committee decided to allot PSU Neyveli Lignite Corporation, I was party to it," he said.
Recalling his meeting with Birla, Parakh said, "Mr Birla made a representation to me in my office and said that you cannot deny our claim as we are on equal footing and have been the first applicant," Parakh said.
"He also said that as the coal secretary you are not secretary only for public sector, you are the secretary for the entire industry. I thought there was merit in Birla's presentation and decision needed reconsideration. And hence I made proposal to PM," Parekh said defending the decision of allotment of coal mines to Hindalco.
"There is no misuse, or favouritism. If that was the case, the entire thing could have been given to Hindalco. It was allotted to both competent organizations," Parakh said.
He also said that he failed to understand the reason why his meeting with Birla was being blown out of proportion. "I don't know why CBI is smelling rat into it. A lot of industrialists meet and give representations. Somebody has to address a grievance. What is the big deal of Birla meeting me? What is a conspiracy," he questioned.
Reiterating that he did not abuse his power, Parakh added "I can't fathom any reason why CBI has filed this FIR".
Details of the 14th FIR in the coal blocks allocation scam which names former coal secretary PC Parakh and Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla reveals that the former changed the decision of the screening panel committee that was held in 2005 after a personal meeting with the industrialist.
A copy of the FIR accessed by CNN-IBN says that Parakh allegedly abused his position to show undue favours to the Birla-owned Hindalco. The FIR states that Hindalco got a better deal at the cost of PSU Neyveli Lignite Corporation.
The CBI FIR also says a screening committee in 2005, chaired by Parakh, had earlier rejected Hindalco's bid and allocated the coal block to Neyveli Lignite Corporation.
Without mentioning any names, the FIR says that the changes were approved by the "competent authority". Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was the coal minister at the time.
The FIR goes on to allege there was a criminal conspiracy between Parakh, Birla and others to show undue favour to Hindalco.
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