New Delhi, July 09: Unsatisfied with Arun Shourie's reply concerning the TATA-VSNL controversy, Jibon Roy, a CPI(M) Member of Parliament, has asked Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to clarify the position about TATAs transferring Rs 1,200 crore from VSNL to Tata Teleservices. Roy said that while disposing of 26 per cent stake, the ministry of disinvestment did not create any mechanism to prevent total usurpation of authority by the company in whom stake was rested.

Having taken advantage of this failure, Tatas has transferred Rs 1,200 crore to its loss-making subsidiary, he said.

Roy also pointed to Shourie's reply that "matters arising after disinvestment in a public sector undertaking in which government has disinvested its equity stake in favour of the strategic partner are dealt with by the administrative ministry, in this case, department of telecommunications." "The reply has utterly disappointed me," Roy said, adding that in view of the failure of the ministry of disinvestment and ministry of communication, the Prime Minister's Office would be able to clarify the position to the nation.

Bureau Report