The war of words between Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa over import of coal from Indonesia continued on Monday with charges and counter-charges.
While Ms. Jayalalithaa claimed that officials had provided her with all information about coal import, Mr. Karunanidhi said it would not take much time to identify the officials. “Their mask will slip,” he said, adding that the officials had duped Ms. Jayalalithaa by providing her false information.
As regards Ms. Jayalalithaa's allegation that 680 lakh tonnes of coal had been imported at a higher cost, the Chief Minister said there was no truth in the allegation. The government had imported only 83 lakh tonnes between 2005 and 2010. Mr. Karunanidhi also denied the allegation that coal was imported at a cost of $120 per tonne while coal of similar gross calorific value (GVC) was available for $77. “The cost was between $90-95,” he explained.
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He also denied another charge by Ms. Jayalalithaa, that the purchase order was given to Star Emmsons Resources, a sister concern of ETA-Star group, and pointed out that the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board was importing coal through Minerals and Metals Trading Corporation, a public sector undertaking.