Coal scam: Ex-bureaucrat paints a picture of helpless PM

Parakh said a situation has been created where it is difficult for civil servants to work with honesty and dignity.

He said whatever forward movement was achieved by him during his stint as Coal Secretary was only when the Prime Minister was incharge 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 said.

Asked whether the multicrore coal scam could have been prevented if the reforms had been pushed through, Parakh replied in the affirmative. “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.