Coalgate: Sibal shifts blame on state govts

Bangalore, Sept 8: Countering opposition's tirade against Congress-led

government over

, Human Resource Development (HRD) minister

has put the onus on state governments for allocation of coal blocks on Saturday, Sept 8.

Addressing media at New Delhi, Sibal said that Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, empowers the state governments to allocate coal blocks.

He added that centre had no role to play in the allocation of coal blocks. Sibal questioned opposition's demand for resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over coal blocks allocations row.

Replying to the demand of BJP for resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Sibal asked for the resignations of chief ministers of various states.

Sibal also showed letters written by BJP chief ministers and other non-Congress CMs, opposing the introduction of competitive bidding in allotting coal blocks.

Sibal showed letters of then BJP chief minister Vasundhara Raje of Rajasthan, Shivraj Singh Chouhan of Madhya Pradesh and chief secretaries of BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh and then CPM-ruled West Bengal to argue that the states had a say in the allocation of coal mines, while the blame was being put on the Centre. Sibal said canards were being spread by senior BJP leaders in the media. "There is no debate in Parliament because BJP is not allowing Parliament to function. The people do not know the truth. How do we tell our point of view," Sibal asked.

OneIndia News