Coalgate and We
THE whole week of parliament has been wasted as the no party is ready to budge. The NDA is bent on resignation of PM while UPA is insisting on debate over the issue. The issue is that the nation lost Rs. 1.86 lakh crore as the coal mines were not auctioned.
UPA insists that it followed the policy set by the previous regime of NDA and therefore NDA is to be blamed. Besides, UPA has put forward the theory of zero loss (with the same arguments it tries to defend the losses of 2G) as out of the 57 mines in question, no coal has been extracted in 56. Besides, UPA has alleged that NDA does not want to discuss the issue as NDA will be exposed because the allocations were made on the recommendations of BJP governments. All these points raise several issues.
First, both UPA and NDA have explained in various TV debates what they should have explained in the Parliament. They have made enough attempts to expose each other. Even if Parliament debates about the issue, there will not be anything more than mud slugging which they are already into. Nobody would deny that all concerned parties have benefited from the opaque system but there are other important points.
WHAT happens to a parliamentary debate? Ultimately, the matter goes to PAC. As the UPA has a majority in the PAC (through arm twisting of BSP & SP; We know what happened to 2G probe report of PAC) the fate of Coalgate is not likely to be any different. As the Speaker as also the Chairman have been known Congressmen, we can't expect unbiased opinion from them (you must not have forgotten recent debate in Rajya Sabha on Lok Pal)
SECOND, as the government claims, no coal has been extracted hence there is no loss, why doesn't the government cancel their lease as the blocks were given in urgency because according to government there was an urgent need of coal for pending energy needs. If there was such an urgency, why didn't the government put a penalty clause?
THIRD, the UPA argues that the blocks were issued on the recommendations of NDA chief ministers. The argument has two flaws. One, coal is a central subject and state government have nothing to do with it. Second, if the central government considers the suggestions of CM so valuable, will it oblige if NDA CMs suggest sacking of PM?
UPA insists that it followed the policy set by the previous regime of NDA and therefore NDA is to be blamed. Besides, UPA has put forward the theory of zero loss (with the same arguments it tries to defend the losses of 2G) as out of the 57 mines in question, no coal has been extracted in 56. Besides, UPA has alleged that NDA does not want to discuss the issue as NDA will be exposed because the allocations were made on the recommendations of BJP governments. All these points raise several issues.
First, both UPA and NDA have explained in various TV debates what they should have explained in the Parliament. They have made enough attempts to expose each other. Even if Parliament debates about the issue, there will not be anything more than mud slugging which they are already into. Nobody would deny that all concerned parties have benefited from the opaque system but there are other important points.
WHAT happens to a parliamentary debate? Ultimately, the matter goes to PAC. As the UPA has a majority in the PAC (through arm twisting of BSP & SP; We know what happened to 2G probe report of PAC) the fate of Coalgate is not likely to be any different. As the Speaker as also the Chairman have been known Congressmen, we can't expect unbiased opinion from them (you must not have forgotten recent debate in Rajya Sabha on Lok Pal)
SECOND, as the government claims, no coal has been extracted hence there is no loss, why doesn't the government cancel their lease as the blocks were given in urgency because according to government there was an urgent need of coal for pending energy needs. If there was such an urgency, why didn't the government put a penalty clause?
THIRD, the UPA argues that the blocks were issued on the recommendations of NDA chief ministers. The argument has two flaws. One, coal is a central subject and state government have nothing to do with it. Second, if the central government considers the suggestions of CM so valuable, will it oblige if NDA CMs suggest sacking of PM?
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