New Delhi: Various Coal ministers including Shibu Soren and Dasari Narayana Rao besides MPs cutting across the political class scuttled reforms in the Coal ministry that could have prevented the coal scam despite full support of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in pushing reforms, former Coal Secretary PC Parakh said on Monday.
"These two ministers resolutely opposed my proposal to put coal blocks to open bidding. Unfortunately, the Prime Minister was not able to control his ministers in the proposal that I made in 2004...I saw in the Ministry how Chief Executives and Directors of PSEs are appointed," he told reporters here.
"Money is openly asked for appointment of directors and CEOs. I saw MPs becoming blackmailers and extortionists. They blackmailed officers, they blackmailed CEOs of government companies. I saw how ministers have reversed the decision of the Prime Minister, who had agreed to putting coal blocks in Internet-based auctions," he said after release of his book "Crusader or Conspirator? Coalgate and other Truths".
"We have created a situation were it is difficult for civil servants to work with honesty and dignity," he said.
68-year-old Parakh, who retired from the service in December 2005, said whatever forward movement was achieved by him during his stint as Coal Secretary was only when the Prime Minister was in-charge of the ministry.
"When I was in Coal ministry, the Prime Minister gave me full support. Whatever changes had come in the Coal ministry it is because of Prime Minister. He also supported reforms in the Coal ministry. We were able to get a lot of work done because of proactive role of Manmohan Singh," he told reporters.
Asked whether the multicrore rupees coalgate could have
been prevented if the reforms had been pushed through, Parakh said, "Yes, if the Prime Minister had used his authority, it (scam) could have (been avoided)."
Parakh, who has been accused in one of the FIRs by the CBI probing Colagate, said auction of coal blocks in open market and e-marketing of coal, as proposed, would have ensured that there was no scam.
"Fortunately for me, the Prime Minister again became Coal Minister and I could implement the e-marketing order.
Asked about the FIR against him in connection with allocation of Talabira-II coal block in Odhisa, Parakh said "CBI said there was a conspiracy, I am not saying there was a conspiracy, but if CBI thought there was a conspiracy then conspiracy has to be between people who take decisions.
"So you had Prime Minister who has finally taken the decision. So, if I am a part of conspiracy he(PM) has to be a part of the conspiracy," he said.
Parakh was named in an FIR by the CBI with Kumarmanglam Birla for allegedly entering into a conspiracy to get the coal block allocation in favour of Hindalco.
The book, released by retired Supreme Court judge GS Singhvi and former Cabinet Secretary TSR Subramanian, was in the making for last two-three years and has nothing to do with the timing of Lok Sabha polls, he said.
"I have been writing the book for last two-three years. But after the CAG report and CBI probe, I have just added one chapter to it," Parakh said in reply to a question about his book being released during elections and coming close on the heels of launch of the controversial book by Sanjaya Baru, former Media Advisor to the Prime Minister.
"I was rewarded by a raid by the CBI. My book is about degradation in our political system and civil services," Parakh, who was accompanied by his wife and daughter, said.
