The ruling BJP state government in Gujarat has come under severe flak owing to an alleged coal scam. Voices in the Congress cited that the coal scam runs into INR 6,000 crores, lasting for a period of nearly one-and-a-half decades.

The state government is allegedly guilty of selling coal meant for small industries and traders of Gujarat to other states at black market rates. Our Sprouts’ Special Investigation Team found that coal that would have sold within the state for INR 3,000 per ton was siphoned to other states at prices ranging from INR 8,000 to INR 10,000 per ton.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that three of the four private companies that were cited by the Gujarat government for transportation of coal had fake addresses and identities. Claiming on a sarcastic note that the government will respond, “No one brought coal. No coal came.” Randeep sought a probe into the matter.

Scam runs on from Modi’s tenure in 2008

Congress scion Rahul Gandhi took to the twitter handle to demand an explanation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the “missing 60 lakh tons of coal” in Gujarat state. The Congress spokesmen also emphasized that the four chief ministers in charge of Gujarat from 2008 till date should be made to answer for this.

Opposition demands a sitting SC judge to probe

The opposition demand included a probe into the roles of the four chief ministers of Gujarat that included Narendra Modi, Anandiben Patel, Vijay Rupani and the current one in charge, Bhupendrabhai Patel. The opposition also demanded a time-bound probe that should be headed by a sitting Supreme Court judge to bring out the entire truth.

The opposition ranks also insisted that the role of the four chief ministers that were mentioned should receive an in depth probe and nodal agencies should be put to use for carrying out these investigations. “The diversion of coal intended for traders and small industries is a big fraud on the people of the state,” the spokesperson concluded.