New Delhi, Apr 15 (IANS): The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Monday said the matter relating to exploitation of coal reserves was under judicial scrutiny and the UPA government has nothing to hide in the matter.

"This matter is under judicial scrutiny and the government is assisting the investigating agency on the same. Several statements have been made on the subject in the past including in the parliament also which are in public domain. The law is taking its course. The government has nothing to hide," the PMO said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, former coal secretary P. C. Parakh has alleged that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did little to rein in ministers responsible for coal allocations.

Parakh, launching his book "Crusader or Conspirator? Coalgate and other Truths", said the prime minister, who was later his immediate political boss and held the portfolio, did little to rein in the ministers responsible for coal allocations.

The charges come barely a couple of days after some explosive remarks on similar lines in another book by the prime minister's former media advisor Sanjaya Baru.

In his "The Accidental Prime Minister: The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh" (Penguin), Baru said that even though Manmohan Singh was incorruptible, the actions of his cabinet colleagues were not only questionable but also that little action was taken to prevent them due to the power on such matters allegedly exercised by Congress president Sonia Gandhi.