The CBI has started a preliminary enquiry in to allegations of irregularities in the allocation of coal blocks to private companies between 2006 and 2009 and their misuse by them. Speaking to All India Radio CBI spokesperson Dharini mishra said, the agency has begun the probe and the enquiry is in progress. The Central Vigilance Commission had reffered to the CBI the complaint received from BJP leaders Prakash Javadekar and Hansraj Ahir who had alleged that first-come-first-serve basis was adopted by the government to benefit some private companies. Our correspondent reports, the complaint received is said to have general allegations in which names or individual companies are not mentioned.

The CVC had forwarded the case to CBI for probing the alleged irregularities in coal block allocation process adopted by the Centre and related issues. According to the leaked draft CAG report appearing in the media, government's failure to auction 155 coal blocks between 2004-09 may have resulted in windfall gains to the tune of 10.7 lakh crore rupees to power companies, some of them PSUs. The government has denied the figures quoted in the leaked report and said there was no final report from the auditor. However, the opposition and Team Anna had demanded a probe in the case.