11-11-2005, 06:24 AM
This is getting ugly every day..
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20051110/nation.htm#12
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Cong probing role of NDA leaders in oil-for-food scam
Anita Katyal
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, November 9
Reeling under the Opposition attack over the Volcker committee revelations, the Congress is trying to dig up evidence to show that the NDA government was involved in making âillicit paymentsâ to Iraqâs Saddam Hussienâs regime to secure lucrative contracts.
In this connection, the Congress has zeroed in on public sector companies like State Trading Corporation (STC) and Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) which have figured in UNâs Volcker enquiry committee report on Iraqâs oil-for-food programme. These are among the 129 Indian firms which have been listed in Table 7 of the report as having made âillicit paymentsâ to the Iraqi President when the country was under sanctions.
While RITES has been mentioned as having paid over $ 100,000, the STC figures in the list of firms which paid less than this amount.
The Congress machinery is now working furiously to find out more on the role of the NDA ministers who headed the ministries in charge of these public sector undertakings.
While Janata Dal (U) leaders Nitish Kumar and Digivijay Singh were in the Railway Ministry which is the nodal ministry for RITES while Mr Murasoli Maran, Mr Arun Shourie and Mr Arun Jaitely were among those who headed the Commerce Ministry, STCâs nodal ministry.
The Congress is, however, not rushing to launch its counter-campaign as it wants to make sure that Mr Maran was not involved as the tables have now turned and the DMK is an important partner in the UPA government while his son Dayanidhi Maran is a minister in the present ruling coalition. Since Mr Murasoli Maran was ill for a prolonged period, the Congress is trying to ascertain as to who headed the ministry when the contracts with Iraq were finalised.
In addition, the Congress is also trying to find out whether the ministries acted independently or if the Union Cabinet or the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) endorsed these âillicit paymentsâ for securing contracts for supply of humanitarian goods. The Congress effort will be to make a link between these payments and possible pecuniary benefits that might have accrued to those who might have take a decision in this case.It will be particularly inerested in finding some dirt on Mr Arun Jaitely since he has been leading BJPâs campaign against the Congress on the Volcker controversy.
In fact, the UPA government is also toying with the possibility of including the role of the NDA government in the terms of reference of the R.S.Pathak probe into the Volcker findings, which are still being framed and are expected to be endorsed at the next Union Cabinet meeting. This is particularly so since the NDA government was in power when these deals with Iraq were finalised. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20051110/nation.htm#12
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Cong probing role of NDA leaders in oil-for-food scam
Anita Katyal
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, November 9
Reeling under the Opposition attack over the Volcker committee revelations, the Congress is trying to dig up evidence to show that the NDA government was involved in making âillicit paymentsâ to Iraqâs Saddam Hussienâs regime to secure lucrative contracts.
In this connection, the Congress has zeroed in on public sector companies like State Trading Corporation (STC) and Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) which have figured in UNâs Volcker enquiry committee report on Iraqâs oil-for-food programme. These are among the 129 Indian firms which have been listed in Table 7 of the report as having made âillicit paymentsâ to the Iraqi President when the country was under sanctions.
While RITES has been mentioned as having paid over $ 100,000, the STC figures in the list of firms which paid less than this amount.
The Congress machinery is now working furiously to find out more on the role of the NDA ministers who headed the ministries in charge of these public sector undertakings.
While Janata Dal (U) leaders Nitish Kumar and Digivijay Singh were in the Railway Ministry which is the nodal ministry for RITES while Mr Murasoli Maran, Mr Arun Shourie and Mr Arun Jaitely were among those who headed the Commerce Ministry, STCâs nodal ministry.
The Congress is, however, not rushing to launch its counter-campaign as it wants to make sure that Mr Maran was not involved as the tables have now turned and the DMK is an important partner in the UPA government while his son Dayanidhi Maran is a minister in the present ruling coalition. Since Mr Murasoli Maran was ill for a prolonged period, the Congress is trying to ascertain as to who headed the ministry when the contracts with Iraq were finalised.
In addition, the Congress is also trying to find out whether the ministries acted independently or if the Union Cabinet or the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) endorsed these âillicit paymentsâ for securing contracts for supply of humanitarian goods. The Congress effort will be to make a link between these payments and possible pecuniary benefits that might have accrued to those who might have take a decision in this case.It will be particularly inerested in finding some dirt on Mr Arun Jaitely since he has been leading BJPâs campaign against the Congress on the Volcker controversy.
In fact, the UPA government is also toying with the possibility of including the role of the NDA government in the terms of reference of the R.S.Pathak probe into the Volcker findings, which are still being framed and are expected to be endorsed at the next Union Cabinet meeting. This is particularly so since the NDA government was in power when these deals with Iraq were finalised. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->