New Delhi: Government tender documents and minutes pertaining to the Rs 551.5 crore disinvestment of the Bharat Aluminium Company (BALCO) in Chhattisgarh's Korba district eight years ago cannot be traced by the ministries concerned, according to a response to an RTI application seeking details of the same.
In its order on an RTI query filed by advocate Arjun Harkauli on the issue, the Central Information Commission observed, "in response to the request for information relating to disinvestment of government's 51 percent stake in Bharat Aluminium Company Ltd (BALCO), the CPIOs of the respondents have stated that they have made attempts to search and trace the desired documents but to no avail".
In its reply, the Government of India has nowhere stated that the documents have been destroyed or that it cannot be supplied due to any bar under Section 8 of the Right to Information Act, 2005.
Sterlite Industries had acquired 51 percent stake in Bharat Aluminium Company (BALCO) in March, 2001. The global advisor for the deal was Jardine Fleming India Securities Ltd with whom the agreement was signed by Department of Disinvestment on behalf of Government of India.
In its response dated January 29, 2009, the Department of Disinvestment, which comes under the Ministry of Finance said,
"The records available with the Department of Disinvestment
show that Ministry of Mines, and not Department of
Disinvestment were in consultation with the advisors, even
though Department of Disinvestment has signed the agreement
with the advisors."
In its response dated March 3, 2009, the Ministry of
Mines had stated "the said documents have not been found in
the available files in this ministry".
It also said "there are no records available showing that
discussions were held with them (Sterlite industries) in
connection with their acquisition of majority stake in
BALCO".
PTI
First Published: Sunday, December 27, 2009, 15:53