Himachal Emta Power Limited, promoters convicted in coal block allocation case

New Delhi, August 31

The CBI today said that a special court here has convicted Himachal Emta Power Limited (HEPL) and its two then Directors – Ujjal Kumar Upadhaya and Bikash Mukherjee – and then Chief General Manager (CGM) NC Chakraborty in a case related to allocation of Gourangdih ABC Coal Block in Rani Ganj, West Bengal.

Cheated Govt

In the CBI FIR it was alleged that that the accused persons had cheated the government by securing allocation of Gourangdih ABC Coal Block in favour of HEPL.

It said that the agency had registered the case against HEPL, its promoters and directors, members of the 35th Screening Committee for allocation of the coal block and other unknown persons on August 7, 2014.

In the CBI FIR it was alleged that that the accused persons had cheated the government by securing allocation of Gourangdih ABC Coal Block in favour of HEPL. “It was further alleged that the HEPL had misrepresented the status of land in question and the investment made by it in the project and had secured the allocation of the coal block based on such misrepresentations. The HEPL was also not entitled for allocation of the coal,” the CBI said.

The 35th Screening Committee of Ministry of Coal recommended allocation of the coal block jointly in favour of the HEPL and another company on an equal sharing basis with a condition that a joint venture company be formed between the two entities.

It was also alleged that the accused entity and persons had deliberately conspired with HEPL and submitted false information to the Ministry of Coal (MoC) to secure allocation of the coal block in its favour. After investigation, a chargesheet was filed against the accused entity and persons and the charges were framed on January 10, 2017, the CBI said, adding that the court would hear the arguments on the quantum of sentence on September 5, 2022.