P. C. Parakh's Book '' Crusader or Conspirator? Coalgate and other Truths ''

The coal scam could have been avoided if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had pushed for open bidding and stood up to the resistance posed by junior ministers against the proposed policy, former Coal Secretary P. C. Parakh said on Monday April 14,2014

"Yes, if the Prime Minister had used his authority behind the reforms proposal, it could have been avoided," Parakh said after the release of his memoirs 'Crusader or Conspirator? Coalgate and other Truths.' 

Former Coal Secretary P. C. Parakh also felt the coal scam, which the CAG had pegged at Rs 1.86 lakh crore, may go the Bofors way as the CBI's approach in the case is "faulty".

Former Coal Secretary P. C. Parakh named former Coal Minister Shibu Soren and former Minister of State Dasari Narayan Rao, besides some MPs, for scuttling reforms in the ministry. "Unfortunately, the PM 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,"

Former Coal Secretary P. C. Parakh has highlighted the PM's helplessness,but clarified Singh extended him full support.
"Whatever changes had come in the Coal Ministry, it is because of the PM. He also supported reforms in the Ministry. We were able to get a lot of work done because of proactive role of Manmohan Singh,"

Attacking the CBI, Former Coal Secretary P. C. Parakh has written that the agency is not on the right path to expose the scandal.
"The CAG's report that prompted investigations underlines the fact that an unduly long delay in switching over to transparent bidding system led to the coal scam. I had proposed the change in early 2004 and vigorously pursued it until I retired," the book states.
Explaining why the CBI is not on the right track, Parakh has written that the agency has not made any effort to elicit the reasons for this delay.
"Was this delay deliberate or otherwise? If deliberate, who was responsible for it? Did those responsible for this delay derive any advantage by continuing with the old discretionary system?"
Mocking the CBI's investigating skills, he pointed out that officers did not know the difference between a coal block and a coal mine.
Parakh also questioned the CBI's intentions by asking why it was not investigating the government's reluctance to put in place a system that would ensure transparency.

Note

Former Coal Secretary P. C. Parakh is named as an accused in one of 16 cases in the Coal scam