Mumbai: Ratan Tata has challenged allegations that his company made a Rs. 20-crore donation to a hospital in Tamil Nadu as a bribe to former Telecom Minister A Raja.
The CBI is investigating Mr Raja and some of India's biggest telecom operators for cheating the government. Mr Raja allegedly sold mobile network licenses and frequency at low prices to companies who gave him kickbacks. Mr Raja was arrested in February.
Yesterday, Shahid Balwa, the owner of Swan Telecom, who is also in jail for the telecom scam, said in court that Mr Tata had donated 20 crores to a hospital in Mr Raja's constituency of Perambalur. Mr Balwa alleged that the CBI is deliberately not investigating Tata Teleservices' role in the telecom scam.
Speaking to reporters today, Mr Tata said, "Not even one paisa was paid to Mr. A Raja. The money was for the hospital and medical equipment meant for people. Since no hospital was built and no equipment was purchased, no money was paid. We do not make payments in advance. The statements made in court are to create a diversion."
In a statement released earlier this year, the Tata Group had clarified, "It is a fact that Mr RN Tata was approached in 2008-2009 about a grant of Rs. 20 crore from Tata Trusts for the Perambalur Medical College Hospital, but that grant was ultimately not given." (Read: Tata Sons' statement on Balwa's allegations)
The statement explained, "The Trust had received a grant request in July 2007 to support the cost of upgradation of the medical facilities in the Government Hospital in Perambalur together with some taluka hospitals. The grant of Rs. 8 crore was sanctioned against this request. Of this sanctioned amount, only a sum of Rs. 3.26 crore was released by the Trust and spent by the hospital, towards the cost of a CT Scan machine and allied medical equipment to augment its facilities to treat the rural poor."
The CBI is investigating Mr Raja and some of India's biggest telecom operators for cheating the government. Mr Raja allegedly sold mobile network licenses and frequency at low prices to companies who gave him kickbacks. Mr Raja was arrested in February.
Yesterday, Shahid Balwa, the owner of Swan Telecom, who is also in jail for the telecom scam, said in court that Mr Tata had donated 20 crores to a hospital in Mr Raja's constituency of Perambalur. Mr Balwa alleged that the CBI is deliberately not investigating Tata Teleservices' role in the telecom scam.
Speaking to reporters today, Mr Tata said, "Not even one paisa was paid to Mr. A Raja. The money was for the hospital and medical equipment meant for people. Since no hospital was built and no equipment was purchased, no money was paid. We do not make payments in advance. The statements made in court are to create a diversion."
In a statement released earlier this year, the Tata Group had clarified, "It is a fact that Mr RN Tata was approached in 2008-2009 about a grant of Rs. 20 crore from Tata Trusts for the Perambalur Medical College Hospital, but that grant was ultimately not given." (Read: Tata Sons' statement on Balwa's allegations)
The statement explained, "The Trust had received a grant request in July 2007 to support the cost of upgradation of the medical facilities in the Government Hospital in Perambalur together with some taluka hospitals. The grant of Rs. 8 crore was sanctioned against this request. Of this sanctioned amount, only a sum of Rs. 3.26 crore was released by the Trust and spent by the hospital, towards the cost of a CT Scan machine and allied medical equipment to augment its facilities to treat the rural poor."
Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/not-one-paisa-paid-to-raja-as-bribe-says-ratan-tata-124081&cp
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