Lok Sabha Question No. 5360 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: Corruption  in Eastern Coalfields Limited
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: Shri Jagannath Sarkar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5360 ANSWERED ON 25.03.2026

## CORRUPTION IN EASTERN COALFIELDS LIMITED

## 5360. SHRI JAGANNATH SARKAR:

Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  large-scale  corruption,  cartelization  and tender rigging involving officials of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) and a syndicate of  associate companies operating from the same address in Paschim Bardhaman, West Bengal;

(b) whether enquiry has been initiated by the Ministry or referred to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and if so, the number of ECL employees arrested till now;

(c) whether the Government is aware of serious financial irregularities in ECL including the  1,300  crore  coal  pilferage  scam  in  Kunustoria  and  Kajora  regions  as  well  as overloading, coal grade manipulation and violation of transportation laws and if so, the details thereof;

(d)  whether  the  CAG  in  its  Report  No.  12  of  2024  has  flagged  undue  favour  to contractors resulting in an avoidable loss of 17.39 crore due to non-enforcement of contract terms and if so, the details thereof; and

(e)  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  ensure  accountability,  prevent  future malpractices in ECL?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COAL AND MINES (SHRI SATISH CHANDRA DUBEY)

(a)  Procurement in CIL (Coal India Limited) including ECL (Eastern Coalfield Limited) is conducted strictly as per manuals and approved policies, ensuring transparency. It is  carried  out  through  NIC  e-procurement  and  GeM platforms. Equal access, wide publicity,  and  notified  evaluation  criteria  promote  broad  vendor  participation  in tendering process. Safeguards  like single bid checks, conflict prevention, IP monitoring,  and  penalties  strengthen  the  process.  Collectively  these  measures

ensures integrity,  fairness,  and  compliance  with  the  Code  of  Integrity  for  public procurement.

(b) No such formal complaint has been received in ECL from any of the bidders who have participated in the tenders conducted so far.

(c) All coal seam grades are verified and notified strictly as per prescribed procedures by the Coal Controller's Organization (CCO), a statutory body under the Ministry of Coal. Additionally, billing grade determination is conducted through independent thirdparty sampling agencies chosen by consumers, ensuring transparency and eliminating any such possibility etc.

(d) An enquiry into the audit case was conducted by a committee and action has been taken as per the advice of the committee.

(e)  Various  steps,  inter  alia, have  been  taken  by  the  Government  to  ensure accountability in procurement. Such as,

- Implementation of E-Office, SAP, GeM/NIC portals, ICCC monitoring, Khanan Prahari app, grievance portal, e-auction, and COLARR ensures transparency, efficiency, and real-time tracking of operations.
- Standardization  of  procurement  guidelines  in  alignment  with  Department  of Expenditure norms, and well-defined SOPs.
- Regular  vendor  meetings  at  various  levels  address  concerns  promptly  and improve overall system effectiveness.

*****