In 2012, a controversy over allocation of coal blocks to private companies rocked the country. The government's Finance watchdog - the comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)- found the government had picked favourites and avoided open and competitive bidding which would have generated far more revenue for a cash-starved state. The CAG concluded that India had lost Rs 1.86 lakh crore (over $30 billion)in the process, all of which went to the private companies. It was the biggest recorded scam in the history of India. P.C.Parakh was the Secretary of the Coal Ministry at that time.