Modi government protecting GSPC from being declared bankrupt: Jairam
New Delhi, Aug 27 : Citing an RBI notification, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday demanded that the SBI should declare Gujarat State Petroleum Corp (GSPC) bankrupt and said the company owed Rs 12,000 crore to several banks.
He accused the Modi government of trying to protect the company from being declared bankrupt.
Ramesh said that on February 12, the Reserve Bank of India issued a circular stating that any company that owed more than Rs 2,000 crore to banks should be declared bankrupt within 180 days.
"GSPC's highest debt is from SBI, which is Rs 1,200 crore. According to RBI's notification, SBI should declare GSPC bankrupt," said Ramesh.
"Last month GSPC submitted a 15-page document, entitled ‘Gujarat State Petroleum Corp Debt Resolution Plan' to SBI for the restructuring of outstanding loan. Therefore, it is beyond any doubt that GSPC is not in a position to repay the loan," he added.
Ramesh said: "GSPC has also suggested to transfer a portion of this outstanding loan to the Gujarat State Financial Services (GSFS) and Gujarat State Investment Ltd (GSIL)."
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's term as Gujarat Chief Minister, the GSPC was cited as one of the greatest examples of the Gujarat Model.
"In 70 years, for the first time the Central government has filed an affidavit challenging a circular of the RBI in High Court with the only intention of saving GSPC," said Ramesh.
"In its affidavit, the government said they are not in agreement with the RBI circular and the period of 180 days needed to be extended to 360 days. Some power companies have moved the court, which includes Adani Power. So, this is another big scam after Rafale Deal," he added.
He said SBI was under pressure to take a decision on the loan restructuring to avoid GSPC being declared bankrupt, because in case it was declared bankrupt, it would be a huge blow to the Prime Minister.
Even after the sanction of Rs 20,000 crore to GSPC, no oil or gas was extracted, he said.
Ramesh said this raised questions about the priorities and intentions of Modi. "The PM has not spoken a word on the GSPC issue after 2007. Why is he silent?"
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Ruckus outside counting centre in Mamata's constituency, TMC claims entry of car with BJP flag
Kolkata (PTI): The counting centre at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Bhabanipur assembly constituency witnessed a ruckus a day ahead of the counting of votes, with TMC workers alleging two cars bearing the BJP's flag were allowed entry to the compound where EVMs are kept.
The incident comes close on the heels of a four-hour-long sit-in by Banerjee in front of the same counting centre at the Sakhawat Memorial Girls School on Thursday night, alleging unauthorised entry of persons into the strongroom.
With the polling now over, the wrangling for power in West Bengal has turned into a battle of nerves between the incumbent TMC and the BJP. Workers and leaders of both parties have been keeping a steely gaze on the security of strongrooms across the state where the electoral fate of the candidates is sealed.
Despite expressing her confidence in a "landslide victory", Banerjee has repeatedly aired her apprehensions of "counting malpractice and EVM tampering ahead of the day of results".
On Sunday morning, TMC workers camping 100 metres from the counting centre alleged that two cars with BJP flags entered the premises and went near the strongroom.
"The CAPF personnel at the spot are not allowing any vehicle or person to enter the premises of the counting centre without valid identity proof. Then how come this car, which we have not seen in the past few days, was allowed entry? Once we protested, the central forces asked us to move 100 metres away," a TMC activist said.
The TMC claimed that while the police personnel posted there promised the vehicle would be removed from the spot, it remained there for some time.
A senior Election Commission official said the car was passing by the Harish Mukherjee Road, and after checking by security forces and police, it was allowed to leave as nothing objectionable was found in it.
On Thursday night, two counting centres, including one at Sakhawat Memorial Girls School in the city, witnessed high drama after TMC leaders alleged a lack of transparency and possible malpractice at the strongrooms housing sealed EVMs of the assembly polls, which concluded on April 29.
TMC leaders and candidates, Sashi Panja and Kunal Ghosh, held a sit-in outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra counting centre on Thursday evening, alleging unauthorised activities inside the strongroom amid the absence of TMC agents
In Howrah, TMC protested renovation work by the public works department at a place adjacent to the strongroom, and the EC stopped the work temporarily.
On Saturday, the ruling party filed a complaint with the poll panel, alleging unauthorised sorting of postal ballot covers at the EVM strongroom in Khudiram Anushilan Kendra.
Similar scenes were witnessed on Saturday outside the strongrooms at Asansol College in Paschim Bardhaman and the Barasat Government College in North 24 Parganas districts, where TMC workers held protests, alleging that CCTV cameras were switched off for several minutes.
The EC turned down all allegations, saying the surveillance cameras were working in an uninterrupted manner.
BJP spokesperson Sajal Ghosh told reporters that the people of Bengal were finding it "hilarious" that the TMC, "which used to win elections through unfair means and strongarm tactics" were now coming up with all sorts of "frivolous charges".
"Are they scared of losing?" he posed.
