Thaindian News

New Delhi, Oct 22 (IANS) The government is taking “seriously” the allegations that some officials, including from the Indian Navy, have received received illegal payments worth millions of dollars from some US companies and their Indian counterparts to secure contracts, Defence Minister A.K. Antony said Thursday.
“The government will take it seriously. The navy has already begun its investigation,” Antony told reporters at the Naval Senior Officers Conference 2009 here.

The allegations were brought to the notice of the Prime Minister’s Office by Indian ambassador to the US Meera Shankar.

In her letter of May 12 to T.K.A. Nair, the principal secretary to the prime minister, Shankar mentioned bribe amounts paid by US companies to officials of the Indian Navy, Maharashtra State Electricity Board, Indian Railways, Indian Central Insecticides Board and other unnamed senior officials to secure government contracts.

In one instance, ambassador Shankar cited a bribe of $132,500 given to Indian Navy officials by an agent of York International Corporation, a global provider of heating, air conditioning and refrigeration products.

According to the letter, the money was transferred over a period of six years (2000- 2006) for placing 215 orders.

Antony said he had “not seen the reported letter”. “But we will not ignore it,” he added.

The PMO has already asked five government departments to submit their reports on action taken against corrupt officials. Some of the US companies listed by the envoy that paid the bribes had already been fined for “inappropriate payments”. The companies mentioned are Mario Covino of Control Companies, Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation and Dow Chemicals.