Citizens' Accountability LedgerWho owned the mess? 25 years, every party, on the record

Case 16 · Public money

Coal blocks. 204 allocations quashed, and a ₹1.86 lakh crore estimate

CAG report tabled 17 Aug 2012

Allocations cancelled. Ministers untouched.

5,111 days since Recorded outcome: Allocations cancelled. Ministers untouched..

Human cost
A national mineral reserve allocated for two decades without competitive bidding
Financial cost Est
CAG put the gain to allottees at ₹1.86 lakh crore, revised down from a leaked draft figure of ₹10.67 lakh crore

What happened

The CAG report tabled in August 2012 found that coal blocks had been allocated without competitive bidding, transferring a large windfall to allottees, and that companies had submitted inflated claims of net worth and experience. In 2014 the Supreme Court held all allocations made since 1993 illegal and arbitrary, and cancelled 204 of 218 blocks.

How it unfolded

  1. 1993 onward

    Coal blocks are allocated without competitive bidding, transferring a large windfall to allottees. Companies submit inflated claims of net worth and experience.

  2. 17 Aug 2012

    The CAG report is tabled.

  3. Aug 2014

    The Supreme Court holds every allocation made since 1993 illegal.

  4. Sep 2014

    204 allocations are cancelled.

  5. 2014 onward

    Some officials and businessmen are prosecuted; the political level is never reached. The coal portfolio was held by the Prime Minister for part of the period under audit.

  6. 2026

    The oldest of the cases finally ends, in acquittal.

Dates are as the record states them, which is sometimes a month or a year rather than a day. Entries marked in red are the ones where nothing happened next.

Claim against record

What the government said

The government argued the allocations followed the screening-committee policy in force since 1993 under governments of both major parties, that no loss was actually realised, and that the CAG's presumptive figure was misconceived.

What the record shows

Allocations cancelled. Ministers untouched.

The allocations were quashed and some officials and businessmen were prosecuted, but the political level was not reached. The coal portfolio was held by the Prime Minister for part of the period under audit. The oldest case took until 2026 to end, in acquittal.

Contested / alleged

The loss figure is presumptive and was disputed at the time, including by the government and by economists. The Supreme Court's finding of illegality in the process is not disputed.

What accountability should have looked like

Competitive auction of a public mineral from the start, which is what the law was eventually changed to require.

Ministers and office-holders responsible

  • Prime Minister; held the coal portfolio for part of the audited periodManmohan Singh
  • Allocating authority across successive governments from 1993Ministry of Coal

Naming who held the portfolio is a matter of public record. It is not by itself a finding of personal responsibility for any death or any rupee.

Sources

T1 primary record · T2 reporting · T3 partisan

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Cite or export this case

Citizens' Accountability Ledger, "Coal blocks. 204 allocations quashed, and a ₹1.86 lakh crore estimate" (CAG report tabled 17 Aug 2012), case-71. https://whoisresponsible.xyz/case/case-71/

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