The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed an FIR against Kumar Mangalam Birla, chief of Aditya Birla Group, and former coal secretary PC Parekh in connection with irregularities in the allocation of a coal block in Odisha in 2005.  The FIR, the 14th filed by the agency in the coal block allocation scam, charges Birla with cheating and criminal conspiracy. According to sources in the agency, the Talabira II coal block in the Jharsuguda district of Odisha was initially allotted to state-owned Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited (NLC), a lignite-mining and power-generating company. However, in 2005, after Birla met Parekh, the screening committee’s decision was overturned to accommodate Aditya Birla company Hindalco at the expense of NLC.  “CBI has records to conclude that Birla met the then coal secretary for undue favour for one of his subsidiary companies Hindalco,” sources said. Simultaneously, coordinated searches were carried out at six offices of Hindalco, including the residences of its officials in Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bhubaneswar. The agency recovered “incriminating documents” during the raids, which it will scrutinise during the course of investigation, sources said.  Apart from Birla and Parekh, the FIR names Hindalco representatives and other unknown officials under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.Hindalco denies chargesIn a statement, Hindalco’s managing director D Bhattacharya termed the allegations paradoxical.“The project for which this mine was allocated – is ready to commission later this month, whereas the clearances to permit mining have not been received so far...no mining has been carried out. This will mean delayed returns,” the statement read.

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