Nitish Kumar backs BJP's demand over coal scam

Patna, Sep 4 (ANI): Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has backed the Bharatiya Janata Party's demand for cancellation of 142 coal blocks allocation and a impartial inquiry into irregularities.

"Debate can take place. All the facts could come to light through debate. They have said that demand could be placed. Though there is no resolution on the behalf of opposition or NDA but many other opposition parties are supporting the demand," said Kumar.

The BJP is demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, who was coal minister between 2006-2009, when many of the sales occurred.

However, rejecting the BJP demands, Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal has said the opposition also allocated 32 coal blocks through same policy when it was in power from 1998-2004.

"The CBI has been investigating it for the last three months. What is the need to demand another inquiry? Why should coal blocks be cancelled? Was the policy wrong? It was 100 percent right policy. There is no other way for capacity addition in the country. I want to question the BJP and the NDA that 'you to had allocated 32 coal blocks'," Jaiswal said.

The 'Coalgate' has paralysed parliament after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) said that the under-priced sales of coalfields would have cost the national exchequer as much as 33 billion dollars in lost revenues.

However, Dr. Singh had rejected the CAG's observations as 'misleading' and 'flawed', and blamed the opposition parties for thwarting the efforts of his government to bring a policy of competitive bidding.

Dr. Singh also ruled out any possibility of quitting the top post despite the BJP firm on its demand for his resignation over the coal blocks allocation issue. (ANI)