India has lost 10.7 trillion rupees (210 billion dollars) by allotting coal assets to private and government firms instead of auctioning them, a newspaper reported Thursday, citing a report by the country's auditor, according to dpa. Opposition lawmakers demanded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh make a statement about the report, published in the Times of India. The leaked draft report from the Comptroller and Auditor General's office said the government extended "undue benefits" by allocating 155 coal fields to about 100 firms instead of auctioning them to the highest bidder. The allocations took place from 2004 to 2009. Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal said he would comment on the report only after examining it and other records. Ministers said the figures cited were notional losses that were bound to come down in the final report. Company executives told the daily that "many" of the coal blocks had yet to be transferred.
