PMO hands over Hindalco coal files to CBI

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Friday handed over the files relating to allocation of coal blocks in Odisha to Hindalco to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), informed sources said.

"We have given entire files relating to the Talabira coal block to the CBI. We have taken a receipt from them and told them that any information needed further will be provided," a source told IANS.

The probe agency had Tuesday named Hindalco along with Aditya Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla and former coal secretary P.C. Parakh in its 14th FIR in the allocation of coal blocks.

It wrote to the PMO seeking file details of Talabira-II and Talabira-III coal blocks in Odisha allocated to Hindalco in 2005 following a PMO decision.

The agency filed a fresh case for alleged irregularities and criminal conspiracy in the allocation of these two coal blocks. The CBI wants to review the files before proceeding with the probe.

The CBI's move comes after the PMO had Oct 19 defended the allocation of coal blocks to Hindalco.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday said he "was not above the law" and was willing to be questioned by the CBI in the coal block allocations as he had "nothing to hide".