PM's Office hands over Talabira-II files to CBI

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) documents related to the allocation of the Talabira-II coal block to Hindalco, it is learnt.

The agency would scrutinise these files and, if required, seek further clarification.

Earlier, CBI had sought the files related to the allocation of the Talabira-II coal block in Odisha in 2005, approved by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who held additional charge of the coal ministry at that time.

After it was issued a rebuttal to allegations Hindalco was favoured in the grant of equity stake in the Talabira-II block as part of a criminal conspiracy, the agency had approached the PMO.

The agency is gathering evidence and preparing to question former coal secretary P C Parakh and Kumar Mangalam Birla, chief of the Aditya Birla Group (of which Hindalco is a part). The documents sought by CBI include those showing the correspondence between the PMO and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik regarding the latter’s request to give preference to Hindalco. Patnaik had said aluminium project generated more employment then power plants and led to growth of the manufacturing sector.

Recently, CBI gave a status report in the coal block allocation scam to the Supreme Court. It is expected the court would hear the matter on October 29.

In its 14th First Information Report in the alleged Rs 1.86-lakh-crore coal block allocation scam, CBI said Parakh had overturned the recommendation of the screening committee and made Hindalco a joint allottee for the Talabira-II block, after a meeting with Birla. The final decision was taken by the “competent authority”, the agency had added.

Later, the prime minister had said as then coal minister, he was responsible for approving the allocation, as it was “entirely appropriate”.