Union Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal informed Rajya Sabha that his ministry handed over more than 700 files to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for probing irregularities in coal block allocation.

His statement comes in response to a claim by Ranjit Sinha, Director of CBI before the parliamentary panel that the agency's probe has slowed down as the coal ministry has not provided all related files.

Jaiswal said there is no delay in giving available files to the investigating agency. Further, he said about 40 files are kept ready for handing over to the CBI.

However, some of the old files, primarily pertaining to applications received prior to period to 2004 are not readily available with the ministry.

The ministry has also asked Coal India or Central Mine Planning & Design Institute to make some files available.

Three Preliminary enquiry cases have been registered against alleged irregularities in coal blocks allocations to private companies during the period 2006-09 and 1993-2004 and relating to allocation of blocks to government companies.

Earlier, the Coal Ministry had deputed a joint secretary-level official to provide CBI with the missing files related to the probe in the coal block allocation scam after the agency claimed before the Public Accounts Committee that nearly 40 files were still not with it.