CBI to probe Assam's coal scam

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday directed senior state officials to take necessary steps for handing over the multi-crore Barak Valley coal scam to the CBI.

Under the scam, coal loaded on trucks was ferried from the Barak Valley in Assam through Meghalaya for several years to evade tax and thereby causing huge loss to the state exchequer.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Assam Police had registered a case and arrested seven government officials and several middlemen.

The Opposition parties as well as several organizations like Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti claimed that the scam was on due to the patronisation extended by some Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, including its MLAs.

Sonowal's direction to the Chief Secretary and senior Home Department officials for facilitating the Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry is aimed at ensuring a thorough and impartial probe.

The Chief Minister said that as soon as the scam came to light with the arrest of one Abdul Ahad, the state government decided to hand over the case to the CBI.

--IANS

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