BJP takes credit for CVC decision on coal mining allotments

"We are happy that the CVC has taken cognisance of our complaint. The CVC has written to us saying your complaints have been duly examined in the commission having regard to the issues raised therein and the same has been forwarded to the CBI for a preliminary inquiry," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.

BJP MP Hansraj Ahir, who has been in the forefront in raising the issues regarding coal mining, was also present at the press briefing.

Javadekar said that not only has the CVC "duly examined the issues raised by them", it also asked the CBI in conduct an inquiry. "The CVC has not acted merely as a post-office in forwarding our complaints. It has also mentioned that the `issues` raised by us have been examined by it," Javadekar said.

Ahir had first written to the CAG in 2010 demanding that it should conduct a "special audit" of the coal mining cases. "We wrote again in March this year and the CVC replied to us on May 17, 2012. We will now wait for the CBI to come out with its inquiry report," Javadekar said.

Ahir had raised the issue in the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Coal and Steel. Javadekar said that the BJP has been pursuing this issue since 2006. Javadekar sought to know why coal mine allotments were made when a decision had been made that these will be auctioned.