Ranchi, Mar 23 (IANS): The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Thursday said said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should answer to the nation on charges in a leaked CAG report that the coal ministry caused the exchequer a loss to the tune of Rs 10.67 lakh crore between 2004-09.

As JMM supremo Shibu Soren was coal minister twice for some time in this period, the party sees the leaked report as an attempt to pressurise the party chief to get support in the Rajya Sabha polls.

"Guruji (Soren) was coal minister for very short period between 2004 and 2009. When Guruji quit the coal ministry in 2004, PM had taken charge of the coal ministry. PM should answer over the audit report," senior JMM leader said Vinod Pandey a senior JMM leader to reporters.

A report in a national daily Thursday said that the CAG in its draft report on coal mining has accused the government of having given "undue benefits" to a number of companies, leading to a loss of Rs.10.67 lakh crore to the national exchequer during 2004-09. The CAG has however refuted the report.

Meanwhile, JMM's alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party preferred to stay away from the controversy.

"This issue is related to the central government and only it can comment on the issue," saidChief Minister Arjun Munda.