AAP welcomes SC order on coal allocations

New Delhi, Sep 24: Welcoming the Supreme Court's decision to quash allocation of 214 coal blocks which were alloted to various companies since 1993, the AAP on Wednesday said it vinidcates the party's stand the allocations had been done in "lieu of huge pay offs".

Aam Aadmi Party leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai had observed a fast from July 26, 2012 to August 3, 2012 demanding investigation into the coal scam.

The party had also carried out a protest at the residences of the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

"The judgment will have long lasting impact and would discourage unscrupulous corporates and politicians, who abuse their position of power to plunder the natural resources of the country. These precious resources belong to the people of the country and not politicians and corporates.

"The judgment vindicates Aam Aadmi Party's stand from day one that the allocations had been done in lieu of huge pay offs and not for country's growth and development, as claimed by successive governments led by the BJP and the Congress," the party said in a statement.

Commended its leader and senior advocate Prashant Bhushan for pursuing the matter in the Supreme Court, the party said it will felicitate Bhushan at a function tomorrow. "It was his tireless crusade for two years that brought the case to the logical end today," the party said.

The statement added that the Supreme Court has also accepted the finding of the Comptroller and Auditor General that the loss incurred by the government exchequer due the scam was Rs 295 per tonne.

PTI