Anti-bribe stand finds new champ in Bajaj

Prominent industrialist and Rajya Sabha MP Rahul Bajaj alleged on Tuesday that several big corporate houses were taking recourse to bribes to smoothen the path for doing business, but they should have the courage to say "no" to political bosses.

"Corruption is all-pervasive in India. Big corporate houses would find it easier not to be corrupt than small ones, but they still give money to get their jobs done," Bajaj Auto's Rahul Bajaj said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, while commenting on corruption in the wake of the 2G spectrum scam and Ratan Tata's disclosure on the demand for bribes.

"Nobody asked me (for a bribe). They don't have the guts to ask. They know me, my family background," he remarked.

Bajaj's statement comes a day after leading industrialist Ratan Tata's startling revelation that his plans to launch a private airline in partnership with Singapore Airlines could not take off, as he had refused to bribe a minister.

Tata was serious about the airline, as he had also met the Prime Minister to discuss the proposal "but an individual thwarted the process," he said.

Recalling the roughly 13-year-old incident, Tata had said, "I happened to be on a flight once. A fellow industrialist sitting next to me said, 'You know, I don't understand. You people are very stupid. You know that the minister wants Rs 15 crore. Why don't you just pay? You want the airlines'."

"I said you will never understand this. I just want to go to bed at night knowing that I haven't got the airline by paying for it," Tata had disclosed to journalists in Dehra Dun.

Clearly, Rahul Bajaj's bold salvo on the issue will give some solace to Ratan Tata, as it would be heartening to know there are other industrialists who believe in his way of doing clean business.

A senior Tata Group official had also created a flutter during the last India Economic Summit, on the eve of the Lok Sabha elections, when he had disclosed that business houses were receiving telephone calls from political leaders for party donations.

Asked to comment on corruption, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said he would take action against the corrupt, if any specific instances were brought to his notice.

"Let me make it clear that this government is led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a man of intellect and integrity," he said.

"As India's commerce and industry minister, I can firmly make a statement that I not only believe in but am firmly committed to the institution of integrity, transparency and dignity," he told journalists at the India Economic Summit.

Asked about Tata's statement, Sharma's Cabinet colleague Vilasrao Deshmukh said: "We need more transparency. I think the government is committed to that."

Although Tata did not disclose the name of the minister, in 1997, the then civil aviation minister C. M. Ibrahim had refused to clear the Tata-SIA plan on the grounds that the rules did not allow the participation of a foreign airline in the aviation sector.

However, Ibrahim has denied he had asked for a bribe to clear the Tata airline proposal.

The Tata family had launched the first commercial airline in the country, which was later nationalised to form Air India, and were keen to enter the aviation business again.

Courtesy: Mail Today