Category Archives: Corruption

Ministers praising Birla who is facing CBI enquiry

17 Thursday Oct 2013

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The cat is coming out of the box. The UPA Ministers, one after another is coming in support of Kumaramangalam Birla, who is facing CBI enquiry on the charges of criminal conspiracy and corruption charges in allotment of coal fields, along with former Coal Secretary P.C.Parakh.
What these Cabinet Ministers are saying?
“I can not fathom how a case of impropriety can be made against business icon Kumaramangalam Birla?” – Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma.
“Recent incidents will dampen business confidence and investment” – Minister of state Corporate Affairs Sachin Pilot.
“I do not agree with the way people’s names are dragged in to controversies” – Minister of State Telecom and Shipping Milind Deora
“We seem to have set out to turn the clock back to an era where profit was dirty word” – Minister Information and BroadcasTing Manish Tewari.

These are real threatening words to the CBI. The above are Ministers in the UPA government who have got maximum influence in the party and the government.This is a warning to the CBI not to prove the case further. Further they very well know that as in the case of 2G scam, this coal scam also will move towards the Prime Minister.
Another aspect of the sayings is that it is not wrong to use any method to maximise the profits of the corporates; it is their right to increase their profits in any way and nobody can question them.
These are all known to the people; but now it has openly been admitted by the top leaders of the UPA government themselves. Have they forgotten the often said words – ” Justice will take its own Course”.
Post Script: The Coal secretary P.C.Parakh has openly stated that ” If CBI thinks I am wrong, then PM is also equally responsible” ” That there is the approval of the PM is on file. It is not oral”. But has the CBI got the guts to question PM?

Global Corruption Index – India at 69th out of 197 Nations.

30 Monday Sep 2013

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The Global Corruption Index has put India at 69th position out of 197 countries. Now the increasing corruption in India is known to other countries also. The last three four years have seen unended corruptions of thousands and lakhs of crore corruption cases like 2G, Coal Gate, Antrix-Dewas, Common Wealth Games, Adarsh Housing Colony, Railway Scam and many more in which the Central Government itself is directly involved. Not only corruption, but criminality by destroying the evidences, just like in the Coal Gate Scam etc. are being revealed. Those who raises the Corruption issues are victimised.

Certainly, India is in the middle of a lot of scams and corruption. It is almost become part of the establishment. Corporates, Industrialists, big business are all part of it.

There is no other way but to fight this menace continuously and with determination to make an end to it.

Sitaram Yechury writes to JPC Chairman

29 Sunday Sep 2013

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New Delhi, Sep 26 Ahead of a crucial meeting of JPC on 2G scam, senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury has submitted a dissent note to its Chairman P C Chacko, alleging the panel has failed to live up to its mandate by not quizzing the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister on the issue.

Claiming that the report of Joint Parliamentary Committee was prepared without consultations with its members, Yechury, one of the 30 JPC members, strongly objected to the “failure” of the panel to call all material witnesses, including the Prime Minister, and relying solely on the written submissions of former Telecom Minister A Raja.

Noting that even Raja was not provided an opportunity to provide oral evidence or face cross-examination by JPC, Yechury said in the 32-page note that the report has made “selective” use of the evidence.

He said several crucial questions, which were to have been replied by the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister, had remained unanswered as both were not called by JPC.

In a covering letter to his note, the CPI(M) leader said JPC had In a covering letter to his note, the CPI(M) leader said JPC had “failed” to adequately discharge the mandate given to it by Parliament.

In his dissent note, Yechury is believed to have written about the alleged roles played by the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister and the Minister of Communication and IT in the scam.

Apart from raising procedural irregularities in JPC’s functioning, he is believed to have raised issues relating to undervaluation of Universal Access Service (UAS) licenses allocated in 2006-08, presumptive losses on account of allocation of these licenses and spectrum in 2007-08, “failure” to appropriately deal with TRAI recommendations and to examine the issue of licences to the private firms.

JPC – Questions to PM by Sitaram Yechury

28 Sunday Apr 2013

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Questions to the PM

Friday, April 26, 2013

April 26, 2013

Press Release

The following note has been sent by Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on 2G Spectrum scam to other members of the JPC explaining why a conclusive report of the JPC cannot be prepared unless the following questions are answered by the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister.

************* Dear Hon’ble Colleague,

The Need for Answers from the Hon’ble Prime Minister on Certain Questions before the JPC

The Draft Report prepared by the Chairman of the JPC, Shri P.C. Chacko states in Section 10.45 the following: In view of the above, the Committee are inclined to conclude that  the Prime Minister was  misled about the procedure decided to be followed by the Department of Telecommunications in respect of issuance of UAS licences.   Further, the assurance given by the Minister of Communications and Information Technology in all his correspondence with the Prime Minister to maintain full transparency in following  established rules and procedures of the Department stood belied.

Shri A.Raja in his letter to Shri Chacko has stated that he had kept the Hon’ble PM informed at each step of the process and through personal meetings as well as during cabinet meetings. The Draft Report also shows that indeed he wrote 3 letters to the PM prior to the 10th January, 2008 when the LoI’s for the 120 licenses were issued. The Draft Report also states that the PM asked the PMO to prepare a Note on Shri Raja’s letter dated 26th November, 2008 wherein he details the various steps he was proposing to take.

Taking the above into account, it is not possible for JPC to come to any conclusion about the veracity of Shri Raja’s claim or the statement in the Draft Report that the PM was misled without the PM answering the following:

1. Is it true that Shri Raja had met him personally in the first week of January, 2008 as stated in his letter to brief the Hon’ble PM  about the procedure he was going to follow? In his submission, Shri Raja states, “Thereafter I met the Hon’ble PM in the first week of  January 2008 and this issue was again discussed and he agreed with  the proposed course of action of the DoT.” 2. If this meeting did take place, did the Hon’ble PM agree with Shri Raja on the proposed course of action as Shri Raja claims? 3. On what specific count can we hold that Shri Raja misled the Hon’ble PM? a) Is it about not auctioning/indexing license fees of 2001 for 2008? b) Is it about the change in First-come-first-served policy regarding grant of license by which the date of fulfilling LoI first was to be used for grant of licenses and not the date of application c) Is it about securing the consent of the Solicitor General to the procedure that was to be followed as stated by Shri Raja in his 26th November, 2008 letter? 4. On what count did Shri Raja not maintain transparency regarding procedures which Shri Raja was following in his communications with the Hon’ble PM as stated in the Draft Report 5. Even if the above is true – that Shri Raja misled the PM and did not maintain transparency as claimed by the Draft Report, the following issues still remain, which the Hon’ble PM needs to answer: a) Even after LoI’s were issued on 10th January, 2008, since the licenses had not been issued, the Government could have cancelled the LoI’s and followed a proper procedure. Why did the Hon’ble PM not take action  as he had himself asked that the Note prepared by Pulok Chatterjee, Secretary PM, dated 6th January, 2008 be modified to take into account the status after issuing of the LoI’s? b) The Hon’ble PM in October 29, 2011 had stated – in his meeting with TV editors – that the Finance Ministry and the DoT had agreed on keeping 2001 prices for entry and spectrum fees for 2008. Was this agreement between Finance Ministry and DOT reached before 10th January, 2008 or afterwards? c) On what basis did the Hon’ble PM drop the suggestion for auctioning of the licenses he himself had made to Shri Raja in his letter dated 2nd November, 2008? Keeping in mind the high office he occupies, the Hon’ble PM can give answers to the JPC orally or in writing. Without answers from the Hon’ble PM on the above, it is difficult to understand how the JPC can come to any conclusion regarding the Hon’ble PM being misled by Shri Raja. The Need for Answers from the Hon’ble Finance Minister on Certain Questions before the JPC The Draft Report prepared by Shri P.C. Chacko has made a number of observations regarding the Finance Ministry, and therefore of the Finance Minister’s handling of the 2G license issues.   It is not possible for JPC to come to any conclusion about the role of the Hon’ble Finance Minister without answers to the following questions. Specifically, the Draft Report mentions in Section 10.43 the following: The Ministry of Finance have informed the Committee that no communication was sent  by the Department of Economic Affairs in response to the letter dated 29 November, 2007 from the Department of Telecommunications. From the sequence of events, the Committee gather the impression that the Ministry of Finance was in agreement  with the position  explained by  the Department of Telecommunications in respect of cross-over fee  charged for  allowing  usage of Dual Spectrum Technology by the existing licensees. Does the Finance Minister agree with the Draft Report that by not responding to the position as explained by DoT regarding license fees, the Ministry of Finance had in effect given its consent? Why did the Finance Ministry not press the issue of entry and spectrum fee being pegged to 2001 prices in 2008, especially as the DoT had referred to the Cabinet note where it was mandatory to have such an agreement between the Finance Ministry and the DoT as per Section 2.1.2 (3)? As a formal consent is required from the Finance Ministry to fixing of license fees, did the Finance Ministry give such a consent? Shri A. Raja is his letter to Shri Chacko has also stated that his actions regarding license fees was with the concurrence of the Finance Ministry and the Finance Minister, whom he had met during the first week of January, 2008. Is it true that such a meeting took place and if so, is it correct that the Hon’ble FM had given his consent to license fee being kept at the 2001 level for the 2008 issuing of licenses? Why did the Hon’ble FM agree – as can be seen from his note to the PM on 15th January, 2008 – to treat the matter of entry and spectrum fees for LoI’s issued on 10th January, 2008 as a closed matter? Why did the Hon’ble agree on 30th January, 2008 in his meeting with Shri A. Raja to treat the entry and spectrum fees for LoI’s issued on 10th January, 2008 as a closed matter? As one of the most eminent lawyers of the country, the Hon’ble FM was undoubtedly aware that LoI’s could be cancelled before the formal grant of licenses and therefore his consent was essential for the entry and spectrum fees being kept at 2001 levels in 2008? Why did the Hon’ble FM not push for the Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rule-4, which makes such concurrence mandatory regardless of the Cabinet note? Why did the Hon’ble  Finance Minister not push for the Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rule-7, which specifies in the second schedule that in cases which involves financial implications on which the Finance Minister desires a decision of the Cabinet and if a difference of opinion arises between two or more ministries and a Cabinet decision is desired, the matter shall be brought before the Cabinet? Keeping in mind the high office he occupies, the Hon’ble FM can give answers to the JPC orally or in writing. Without answers from the Hon’ble FM on the above, it is difficult to understand how the JPC can come to any conclusion regarding the role of the Finance Ministry or the Hon’ble FM.

Leaked JPC report on 2G – Strong protest by opposition

20 Saturday Apr 2013

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The leaked report of the Joint Parliament Committee on 2G spectrum scam has put the government in a tight spot. The entire opposition has protested against the draft report which has omitted many evidences, ignored documents and did not call the former Communications Minister and the Prime Minster to give evidence. In fact, former Minister Raja against whom charges are levelled wanted to give evidence but was not called by the JPC.

The report is politically motivated and is intended to save the Prime Minister of his role. The opposition parties are  going to sharply react and protest in the Parliament which is going to resume on Monday, 22nd of April.

2G Scam – Inquire PM Role – CPI(M)

18 Monday Mar 2013

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New Delhi, Mar 18  The CPI(M) today sought an CBI investigation into the role of Prime Minister’s Office in 2G telecom scam, saying he cannot absolve himself of his responsibility in the matter. In a statement, the party Politburo also demanded that the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probing the spectrum allocation case should summon “both the Prime Minister and (former Telecom Minister) A Raja to testify”. Referring to the “fresh evidence” appearing in the media about the PMO’s role, it said the report on the file notings and documents of the PMO “reveals the complicity of the PMO in the illegal and arbitrary policies adopted by the then Telecom Minister A Raja in the 2G spectrum allocations”. Maintaining that it was “surprising that the CBI has not investigated this aspect” of the 2G case, the CPI(M) said, “The Prime Minister’s related efforts at distancing himself from the affair have also been exposed. The Prime Minister cannot absolve himself of his responsibility in the matter.” The party demanded that the role of the PMO should be “specifically enquired into by the CBI” and the JPC should summon both the Prime Minister and A Raja to testify.

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CBI files charge against Bharti Airtel for irregularities

21 Friday Dec 2012

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed charges against India’s top mobile phone carrier, Bharti Airtel, as part of a broader case involving alleged irregularities in airwave allocations.

Two Vodafone-owned companies—Hutchison Max and Sterling Cellular—and former Telecom Secretary CBI Shyamal Ghosh have also been accused of criminal conspiracy and face charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Mr Ghosh has been charged with misusing his office to confer additional spectrum in sweetheart deals to telecom giants. The CBI says the country lost nearly Rs. 846 crore as a result.

The charge sheet filed in a Delhi court today does not mention any executives.

A Bharti spokesman said he had no immediate comment, while a Vodafone India spokesman declined to comment.

Bharti has previously said it had complied with all rules. Bharti shares were down 2.2 per cent as of 1.56 p.m., underperforming the 0.8 per cent decline in the broader Nifty.

The CBI probe concerns alleged irregularities in allotting mobile spectrum in 2002 during the NDA government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). At the time, Pramod Mahajan, now deceased, was Telecom Minister.

The investigation follows a scandal over airwave allocations in 2008 by then Telecom Minister A Raja, who was jailed for allegedly accepting kickbacks in return for assigning under-priced licenses to mobile phone operators for second-generation or 2G airwaves. The 2G scam, as it’s referred to, shook Dr Manmohan Singh’s government after the national auditor said it was worth Rs. 1.76 lakh crore.

While monitoring the investigations into the 2G scam, the Supreme Court had asked the CBI to investigate any possible irregularities in the granting of mobile permits from 2001 to 2007, before the Congress-led UPA coalition came to power. (Report from Ganashakti)

Wal-Mart Issue rocks the Parliament

10 Monday Dec 2012

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The report in the newspapers about Wal-Mart spending Rs.125 crore for lobbying to get markets in India rocked the Parliament today. The opposition parties demanded an inquiry in the matter.

It is an utter shame for the ruling party that such things of bribery and corruption are continuing with the full knowledge and probably support of the government. A report in the press is given below:

The Opposition is crying foul over reports of global retail giant Walmart lobbying US lawmakers to get into India. The BJP and the Left Front joined hands to collectively take on the government, demanding an inquiry into reports that Walmart had spent Rs 125 crore on lobbying with US lawmakers to facilitate its expansion into markets including India over the past four years. The BJP, in fact, compared it to the Bofors deal.
“It is an official confirmation that Walmart paid bribes. Lobbying is prohibited in India. Bribery is crime. People of the country want to know what action was taken against them. Who are the middlemen? This should be investigated. The Prime Minister himself should explain why he didn’t initiate an enquiry,” BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
The Congress pointed out that Walmart had only lobbied with US senators and not got in touch with Indian leaders. “The report tells that Walmart lobbied US senators to pass FDI in retail. It doesn’t question any politician, administrative officer or institution of India,” Congress leader Jagdambika Pal said.
There was uproar in the Rajya Sabha over the reports following which the Upper House had to be adjourned till 2 pm. The issue rocked the Rajya Sabha after reports that Walmart, waiting for years to open its supermarkets in India, has been lobbying with the US lawmakers since 2008 to facilitate its entry into the highly lucrative Indian market.
As per the lobbying disclosure reports filed by Walmart with the US Senate, the company has spent close to $25 million (about Rs 125 crore) since 2008 on its various lobbying activities, including on the issues related to “enhanced market access for investment in India”.
In the last quarter ended September 30, 2012 itself, the company spent $1.65 million (about Rs 10 crore) on various lobbying issues, which included “discussions related to FDI in India”. During the quarter, Walmart lobbied for its case with the US Senate, the US House of Representatives, the US Trade Representative (USTR) and the US Department of State, as per its latest quarterly disclosure report.
The companies are allowed to lobby for their cases in various departments and agencies in the US, but they are required to file their lobbying disclosure reports every quarter with the US Senate. So far in 2012, Walmart has spent more than $3 million or about Rs 18 crore on its various lobbying activities, including those related to India.
As per Walmart’s lobbying disclosure reports, the company has continuously lobbied for its India entry since 2008, except for a few quarters in 2009. Indian government recently opened up its multi-brand retail sector for foreign companies after years of political opposition and a Parliament motion against this decision was defeated last week in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
The US-based supermarket chain operator Walmart Stores, which has an annual turnover of $444 billion and a world-wide headcount of 2.2 million, has been eyeing for a long time to enter India. The Indian retail market is estimated to be worth about $500 billion currently and is pegged to cross $1 trillion mark by 2020, given the rising personal income and growing consumer spending trends.
According to a report by global consultancy major AT Kearney, the organised retail is expected to reach 25 per cent of the overall market by 2020. The report also said that India remains one of the most favourable destinations for international retailers and an accelerated retail growth of 15-20 per cent is expected over the next five years. (Ganashakti)

Will there be another spectrum auction ?

28 Wednesday Nov 2012

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The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on Telecom is expected to meet today, 28th November. It is also reported that the meeting may consider the question of another auction for the spectrum in the new year.

It seems that the last auction of spectrum was a well planned drama by the government and the private telecom companies. The Supreme Court had given directions for all the available spectrum to be auctioned. Then why the government has put to auction only a small portion of the spectrum?  As the Supreme court has questioned yesterday, why all the spectrum was not auctioned? It is clear that all the private companies have organised a cartel to ensure that the auction is failed.

The government’s intentions are really suspect. It has to explain.

Walmart charged with bribing in India, China and Brazil

25 Sunday Nov 2012

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Bharti-Walmart charged with bribery in India.

The Multinational Walmart and its Indian Associate Bharti Enterprises have been charged with bribery in India. Walmart operations in Brazil and China are also involved in bribery charges. Certain top officers of the company have been suspended in this connection by the company. Of course, the charges are by the US government and not by India.

In India, bribery is accepted as normal by the government and no company is being charged with the same. Those who receive bribe are punishable, but as we are seeing, not even 10% of the culprits are punished.

The fight against corruption is one of the most important tasks to be attended to urgently. And please note, that the central government is aggressively putting red carpet for the Walmart & other such MNCs.