Hello,
Documents scooped by The Reporters’ Collective reveal how the Narendra Modi government looked the other way when auditor mandated by the Constitution, the CAG, raised concerns about business groups deploying shell companies and colluding to corner India’s coal reserves.
Media organisations talked of the CAG report and soon moved on. So did the government. Names were kept hidden, the scandal papered over.
Internally, the Modi government admitted the coal auction regulations were “prone to be misused” and rules that governed the auctions could allow bidders to collude and “stifle competition”. But the government let the companies mine the coal reserves regardless.
The Collective today reveals documents not seen before and facts that were quietly buried.
I’m excited to present the first of our two-part investigation #CoalFiles. Our team has pored through reams of documents to uncover the truth and worked, as always, to ensure that every detail is accurate and factual. So please take your time and absorb every word.
Remember, these auctions were held after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government swept to power in 2014 promising an end to crony capitalism. It brought in a slew of laws and regulations and promised to auction the mines only to the highest bidder through a transparent regime.
But, did that really happen?
Read the first of the two-part investigation by my colleagues Kumar Sambhav and Shreegireesh Jalihal published in English in Al Jazeera. And, soon in other Indian languages by our other collaborating publications.
Before you go, I would like to ask a favour. The reporters have been in the trenches for a long time to bring to you this investigation. But let’s face it, this kind of journalism isn’t cheap. It takes grit and courage to collar the powerful, doggedness to keep digging for truth and, most importantly, resources. It is easy to bemoan journalism is all downhill now, but with your support, we can keep digging and keep our journalism on the up-and-up. Look for a donate button that will pop up within 10 seconds on the page the above link takes you to. Remember, free and fair democracy exists as long as free press exists.