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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
 Posted - 10/13/2009 : 19:06:05
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Corrupt bureaucrats being probed: PMO, Mukherjee
Calcutta News.Net
Tuesday 13th October, 2009 (ANI)
New Delhi, Oct.13 : The government on Tuesday said that a probe has been ordered into corruption charges against the bureaucrats after the Indian envoy to US, Meera Shankar, said in a letter that they were bribed by US firms.
The Prime Minister's Office said the letter of Indian Ambassador to the US, Meera Shankar, dated May 12, reached the office when the country was in the midst of Lok Sabha polls.
"As soon as the government settled down, a probe was ordered. Everything in the case is being looked into," the PMO said
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee also said that the matter was being looked into, even as former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda said that the corruption charges against him were baseless and that he was ready to face an inquiry.
Reacting to Meera Shankar's letter, External Affairs Minsiter SM Krishna said, "Meera Shankar has filed a report as our ambassadors often do. We will look into the matter."
According to Shankar's letter to the Prime Minister's Principal Secretary T K A Nair, prominent Indian organisations which received funds include Maharashtra State Electricity Board (which got payments from Mario Covino of Control Companies), Indian Railways (by Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation) and Central Insecticides Board (by Dow Chemicals).
The US companies have been booked under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of the US, according to the letter.
The BJP had yesterday released Shankar's letter and questioned the government's silence on the matter saying it "amounts to shielding the corrupt.
Expressing concern over the development, the CPI(M) today asked the government to take firm action against persons who allegedly took bribes and blacklisted all US firms involved in it.
The PMO said that the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has been ordered to look into the matter. The DoPT has also been asked to co-ordinate with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Shankar has also cited a bribe of Rs.61 lakhs given to Indian Navy officials by an agent of York International Corporation. The global provider of heating, air conditioning and refrigeration products has admitted to the transaction. The money was transferred over a period of six years between 2000 and 2006 for placing over two hundred orders.
Indian Navy sources, however, denied any information on Meera's letter.
"The Navy was not informed about the letter. The navy got to know about it today from the newspapers. We are waiting for an official memorandum from the government and then, we will begin our internal investigations. Upto today, there has not been any intimation from either the government or the Central Bureau of Investigation," the Times Now TV channel quoted Navy sources
, as saying.
The Mumbai based DE- Nocil Protection - a subsidiary of Dow Cemicals has admitted to paying about a crore to an official in India's Central Insecticides Board to expedite the registration of three of its products.
The Maharashtra State Electricity board has also allegedly received over four crores in bribes. Mario Covino - an American firm which makes valves has also admitted to the pay-offs.
Indian Railway Employees are also under the scanner. Pioneer Friction Limited has also admitted to making payments of 63-lakh rupees. (ANI with inputs)
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 10/13/2009 : 19:08:08
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The Telegraph
| Wednesday , October 14 , 2009 |
Probe into US bribes already on: PMO
New Delhi, Oct. 13: The government has sought to allay Opposition allegations of inaction on alleged payoffs to public sector concerns by US companies, saying it had acted swiftly on information and sought a probe in each case.
“Inquiries had been ordered into all charges way back in June and we have asked departments concerned to expedite their probe,” a source in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said today. “There can be no truth to insinuations that we have been sitting idle on this information or shielding anyone.”
In a letter to the Prime Minister’s principal secretary, T.K.A. Nair, in May, Meera Shankar, Indian ambassador to Washington, had flagged allegations of illegal payoffs by US firms. The letter concerned illegal payments to officials of the Indian Navy, the Maharashtra State Electricity Board, the Indian Railways, the Central Insecticides Board and the revenue department.
The US companies involved have been booked under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of the US, according to Shankar’s letter.
The BJP had yesterday released Shankar’s letter and questioned the government’s silence on the matter, saying it “amounts to shielding the corrupt. This means the government does only pep talk on the issue of corruption”.
Contesting the BJP’s allegation, a source in the PMO said: “Action taken reports (ATRs) into all allegations had been sought from departments concerned in August itself, each case will be thoroughly looked into.”
The sources said ambassador Shankar’s letter had been received at a time the country was on the verge of the general elections. “But as soon as the new government settled down, this issue got the attention it deserved, and action was initiated,” one of the sources said.
The agriculture ministry, the sources added, had already gone to the CBI in respect of alleged illegal payments to the Central Insecticides Board by the Dow Agro Science Private Limited, and a formal investigation was on.
“The agriculture ministry is already seized of the matter relating to improper payment allegedly made by De-Nocil, now known as Dow Agro Sciences India Pvt Ltd, to the officials of the Central Insecticides Board, Faridabad,” a PMO source said.
“In all other cases, we have asked for the ATRs to be expeditiously submitted so that follow-up action can be taken,” the source said.
The CPM today said that US firms accused of bribing Indian officials should be blacklisted and those who took money punished.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 10/13/2009 : 19:11:52
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Corrupt Indian babus exposed in US
13 Oct 2009, 1728 hrs IST
A US report has blown the cover off American companies bribing 'Babus' in India.
In the report, various US companies have admitted giving money to Indian officials in exchange for favours. While all the companies have already been penalised for their actions in the US, nothing has been done against Indian government employees who pocketed the cash.
Indian Ambassador to the US Meera Shankar has sent a letter to the Prime Minister's
Principal Secretary T K A Nair, which said states prominent Indian organisations that received funds. The organisations named are Maharashtra State Electricity Board (which got payments from Mario Covino of Control Companies), Indian Railways (by Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation) and Central Insecticides Board (by Dow Chemicals).
Sources in the PMO said that the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has been ordered to look into the matter. The DoPT has also been asked to co-ordinate with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Reacting to Meera Shankar's letter, External Affairs Minsiter SM Krishna said, "Meera Shankar has filed a report as our ambassadors often do. We will look in to the matter."
Meera Shankar has also cited a bribe of 61-Lakhs to Indian Navy officials by an agent of York International Corporation. The global provider of heating, air conditioning and refrigeration products has admitted to the transaction. The money was transferred over a period of six years between 2000 and 2006 for placing over two hundred orders.
The sources in the India Navy however denies any information on Meera's letter.
High placed sources in the Navy told TIMES NOW, "The Navy was not informed about the letter. The navy got to know about it today from the newspapers. We are waiting for an official memorandum from the government and then, we will begin our internal investigations. Upto today, there has not been any intimation from either the government or the Central Bureau of Investigation."
The Mumbai based DE- Nocil Protection - a subsidiary of Dow Cemicals has admitted to paying about a crore to an official in India's Central Insecticides Board to expedite the registration of three of its products.
The Maharashtra State Electricity board has also allegedly received over four crores in bribes. Mario Covino - an American firm which makes valves has also admitted to the pay-offs.
Indian Railway Employees are also under the scanner. Pioneer Friction Limited has also admitted to making payments of 63-lakh rupees.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 10/13/2009 : 19:13:41
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HindustanTimes
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Bureaucrats being probed after bribery complaint: PMO
Indo-Asian News Service
New Delhi, October 13, 2009
First Published: 21:43 IST(13/10/2009)
Last Updated: 21:46 IST(13/10/2009)
The government on Tuesday said it was inquiring into a complaint lodged by the Indian ambassador to the US, Meera Shankar, highlighting instances of millions of dollars paid as bribes to government officials.
”The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has been ordered to look into the matter and it has also been asked to coordinate with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI),” said a senior official in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
“Since the complaint pertains to five government departments, it will take some time. But we were on the job as soon as the government took office.”
In her letter dated May 12 and addressed to TKA Nair, the principal secretary to the prime minister, the ambassador mentions bribe amounts paid by US companies to officials in the Indian Navy, Maharashtra State Electricity Board, Indian Railways, Indian Central Insecticides Board and other unnamed senior officials to secure government contracts.
In one instance, the ambassador cites a bribe of $132,500 given to Indian Navy officials by an agent of York International Corporation, a global provider of heating, air conditioning and refrigeration products.
According to the letter, the money was transferred over a period of six years (2000-2006) for placing 215 orders.
Some of the US companies listed by the envoy that paid the bribes had already been fined for "inappropriate payments". The companies mentioned are Mario Covino of Control Companies, Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation and Dow Chemicals.
On Tuesday, the Bharatiya janata Party (BJP) had released Shankar's letter and questioned the government's silence on the matter saying it “amounts to shielding the corrupt”.
“One of the reported beneficiaries is the Maharashtra State Electricity Board. There are over 1,000 employees working in it and obviously it is going to take time to zero in on the culprits, if any,” said the PMO official.
“But what is important here to note is that a majority of the pay-offs happened when the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was in power. May be they too need to be asked,” said the official.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 10/13/2009 : 19:14:44
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robe ordered into illegal payment by US companies: PMO
New Delhi | Wednesday, Oct 14 2009 IST
The government today said a probe has been ordered into a case of illegal payment by a US company to a PSU while enquiries were on in similar cases involving other Indian entities.
The oppostion BJP and CPI(M), while citing a letter of Indian ambassador to US, Mira Shankar to the principal secretary in the PMO, had alleged that corruption was rampant in PSUs and the bribe money was coming from US companies.
At a press conference yesterday, the BJP had distributed copies of the purpoted letter to mediapersons.
The companies named in the letter were Maharashtra State Electricity Board, Indian Railways and Central Insecticide Board. Sources in the PMO said a action taken report have been sought by the Department of Personnel and Training from these government entities.
According to the sources, the Ministry of Agriculture has taken up the matter of illegal payment by Dow Agro Sciences India Pvt Ltd to the officials of the Centrtal Insecticide Board. The matter has been referred to the CBI, they said. |
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 10/14/2009 : 20:13:12
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US firms bribed Navy, PSUs: Indian envoy
CNN-IBN
TimePublished on Wed, Oct 14, 2009 at 09:13, Updated on Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 01:18 in India section
TagsTags: Corruption, Indian Navy , New Delhi
Read Comment | Post Comment
EXPLOSIVE REVELATION: Indian Ambassador in Washington sent a letter on the issue in May 2009.
EXPLOSIVE REVELATION: Indian Ambassador in Washington sent a letter on the issue in May 2009.
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New Delhi: Just when the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government had buried the ghost of Bofor's kickbacks, a letter from the Indian Ambassador to the United States of America is sure to bring some more embarrassment.
The letter states how American companies paid huge kickbacks to Indian public sector units, Indian Railways, Maharashtra State Electricity Corporation and even the Indian Navy.
Indian Ambassador in Washington Meera Shankar's letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Principal Secretary TKA Nair was written in May 2009.
The Ambassador has listed out seven cases of how government officials in India have been bribed by US-based companies
According the Corrupt Practices Act in the United States all US companies must provide details of the illegal payments they make in foreign countries and the list is a big one.
On January 9, 2009, Mario Civino of a firm called Control Companies pleaded guilty for illegally paying $1 million $ to the Maharashtra State Electricity Corporation.
Then on February 14, the Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (WABTEC) paid off employees of the Indian Railways $137,400.
More than two years ago on October 1, 2007, York International Corporation confirmed middlemen paying Indian Navy officials upto $132,500 for getting contracts.
An official in the Central Insecticide Board, too, has been named as a recipient to expedite registrations.
The revelations have come as a severe embarrassment for the government.
"The matter will be looked into," was all Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said.
External Affairs Minister SM Krishna said, "Our Ambassador in the United States might have sent a report. We will certainly be looking into it."
The matter has now been referred to the Enforcement directorate to divert the flak.
The UPA Government says it will act against the officers if there are credible evidence.
But it may find it difficult to defend itself against the political flak from the Opposition.
CPI General Secretary D Raja said that the Government must initiate strong measures against the accused officials and not just make false claims.
"The Government should initiate strong measures against the officials. Already there are reports that the CBI has initiated some probe. The Government should come out clean. Even the revelation has taken such a long time," said D Raja. |
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Corrupt bureaucrats being probed: PMO, Mukherjee
