{
 "no": 71,
 "id": "case-71",
 "sk": 20120817,
 "year": 2012,
 "date": "CAG report tabled 17 Aug 2012",
 "cat": "Public money",
 "sev": "amber",
 "title": "Coal blocks. 204 allocations quashed, and a ₹1.86 lakh crore estimate",
 "stamp": "Allocations cancelled. Ministers untouched.",
 "human": {
  "v": "A national mineral reserve allocated for two decades without competitive bidding",
  "est": false
 },
 "cost": {
  "v": "CAG put the gain to allottees at <b>₹1.86 lakh crore</b>, revised down from a leaked draft figure of ₹10.67 lakh crore",
  "est": true
 },
 "what": "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.",
 "timeline": [
  {
   "sk": 19930101,
   "on": "1993 onward",
   "kind": "incident",
   "what": "Coal blocks are allocated without competitive bidding, transferring a large windfall to allottees. Companies submit inflated claims of net worth and experience."
  },
  {
   "sk": 20120817,
   "on": "17 Aug 2012",
   "kind": "action",
   "what": "The CAG report is tabled."
  },
  {
   "sk": 20140825,
   "on": "Aug 2014",
   "kind": "action",
   "what": "The Supreme Court holds every allocation made since 1993 illegal."
  },
  {
   "sk": 20140924,
   "on": "Sep 2014",
   "kind": "action",
   "what": "204 allocations are cancelled."
  },
  {
   "sk": 20141001,
   "on": "2014 onward",
   "kind": "silence",
   "what": "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."
  },
  {
   "sk": 20260101,
   "on": "2026",
   "kind": "silence",
   "what": "The oldest of the cases finally ends, in acquittal."
  }
 ],
 "dodge": "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.",
 "ministers": [
  {
   "n": "Manmohan Singh",
   "r": "Prime Minister; held the coal portfolio for part of the audited period"
  },
  {
   "n": "Ministry of Coal",
   "r": "Allocating authority across successive governments from 1993"
  }
 ],
 "pos": "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.",
 "alleg": "The loss figure is <em>presumptive and was disputed at the time</em>, including by the government and by economists. The Supreme Court's finding of illegality in the process is not disputed.",
 "alt": "Competitive auction of a public mineral from the start, which is what the law was eventually changed to require.",
 "estimates": {
  "costInrCrore": 186000
 },
 "sources": [
  {
   "label": "Deccan Herald: SC reserves order on cancelling coal blocks",
   "url": "https://www.deccanherald.com/amp/story/india%2Fsc-reserves-order-cancelling-coal-2172009",
   "tier": 2
  },
  {
   "label": "Deccan Herald: SC notice to Centre on the coal allocations",
   "url": "https://www.deccanherald.com/india/supreme-court-notice-to-centre-on-coal-scam-284456.html",
   "tier": 2
  }
 ],
 "caseUrl": "https://whoisresponsible.xyz/case/case-71/"
}