Tapan Sen seeks CAG stamp on Cairn-Vedanta deal
Sanjay Dutta, TNN, Feb 14, 2011, 09.50pm
-Vedanta deal|Cairn Energy Plc|Bill Gammel
NEW DELHI: Left MP and eminent trade union leader Tapan Sen on Monday demadedthat the government should get the $9.6-billion Cairn-Vedanta deal examined by the Comptroller and Auditor General before clearing the bigest M&A deal in the Indian oil sector.
In a letter to PM Manmohan Singh, his third since the deal became public inAugust last year, Sen demanded that the governemt disclose in Parliament details of Cairn's oilfields, their short-term and long-term viability as well as valuations.
"I have written to the PM. I have been writing earlier also but there has been no response. We will raise the issue in Parliament in the coming session. The government should come clean on the matter since it deals with oilfields which are national assets,'' Sen told TOI.
Sen, who is also a member of Parliament's Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas, also sought to know why ONGC -- which partners Cairn in seven out of its 10 acreages -- is not asserting its pre-emption rights on these fields since Vedanta is a "non-player in petroleum sector''.
In an obvious reference to the PMO setting a deadline for the oil ministry to decide on the deal, Sen wrote: "... oil being a natural resource, which is owned by people of this country, no decision on this deal should be taken through back-door manoeuvers''.
On February 9, TOI had said the ministry is taking care to avoid future CAG accusation of causing loss to state-run explorer ONGC. This became apparent when oil minister S Jaipal Reddy had a day before told Bill Gammel, CEO of Cairn Energy Plc that is selling control in its Indian arm to Vedanta, that ONGC's concerns needed to be "substantially and legitimately addressed'' before the deal could be approved.
The ministry has been hemmed in by an ONGC board resolution asking the government not to clear the deal till Cairn settles its demand for an equitable royalty regime for Barmer oilfields. ONGC is a partner in seven out of Cairn's 10 acreages. It is willing to give up its pre-emption rights if its demand is accepted.
Barmer is a white elephant for ONGC. Because of a historical policy anomaly, the state-run company pays 100% royalty even though it has only 30% stake.
Read more: Tapan Sen seeks CAG stamp on Cairn-Vedanta deal - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/busi ... z1Dx4AiEvu
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( Pierre Mac Orlan )
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