New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to speak on the missing coal allocation files in Parliament today after the government made a major concession to the Opposition at a time it is desperate to pass its ambitious Food Security Bill.
In a bid to end the stand-off, the government Thursday bowed to Opposition demand by agreeing to an intervention by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Parliament on the issue of missing files related to coal block allocations whenever a debate is taken up.
Asserting that "the government has nothing to hide and nothing to conceal" in the missing files matter, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said in the Lok Sabha that the Prime Minister "can intervene" in a debate on a statement by Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal on the issue.
"The Coal Minister will make a statement. Thereafter a discussion can be held in the House in which the Prime Minister can intervene," Nath said after a strong demand by opposition parties.