This book is about the person P.C Parakh, his long journey in the higher echelons of power as an administrator. We can safely say, book isn't just about the coal scam popularly known as 'Coalgate' scam but about his stint as a member of famed 'Indian Administrative service and struggles involved therefore . Author's official journey from a junior officer stationed at Andhra Pradesh to reaching the top post at the Center, with insight information about how corruption has gradually infected and corroded the civil administration. The author describes his tirade against corruption (justifying word crusader) throughout his carrier, also highlighting efforts put in and endorsed by few other honest individuals who valiantly withstood pressure tactics, threats and intimidation from different quarters but didn't succumbed into corrupt practices.
From working with some of the biggest Indian politicians, starting with Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh to bigwigs in Coal ministry like Mamata Banerjee, Shibu Soren and Dr. Manmohan Singh, who was also the Prime Minister. The author highlighted indirect corrupt practices of Mamata Banerjee to blatant misuse of authority by Shibu Soren, Madhu Koda and deafening silence of former PM on corruption who otherwise was efficient. In 2012, a corruption scandal over allocation of coal blocks to private companies was unearthed by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) valued around 1.86 lakh crore (over $ 30 billion), the biggest scam recorded in Indian History. The government had picked favorites and avoided open and competitive bidding while allocating coal blocks which would have generated far more revenue thus benefiting certain individuals while depriving state its rightful revenues.
Author indicated after the public outcry, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), India's premier investigation agency was unleashed to defame every honest individual associated with coal ministry tarnishing the image of some very competent people of indisputable integrity.The author himself is a supposed victim of this official witch hunt and accuses the former CBI Director Ranjit Sinha to be either incompetent or hand in glove with conspirators. This book gives ample evidence of corruption institutionalized in our system in general and innuendos about conspirators of coal scam in particular. The author, a retired top bureaucrat suggests implementation of certain pending necessary reforms for containing corruption and making administration efficient , free from political interventions and threats. A must read for everyone to understand the working of the administration, the pressure under which civil servants perform.
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