FDI IN RETAIL: CAIT releases traders’ charge-sheet against Govt

New Delhi, November 21, 2012: " The self-admittance of Walmart for paying bribes in India, as reported by the media corroborate the stand taken by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) that purely to earn profits, the global retailers indulge in mal-practices and do not hesitate to even break the law. Since the matter is now in public domain, the Central Vigilance Commission(CVC) should take suo-motto cognisance of the serious issue and initiate the enquiry as to who are the beneficiaries of such bribes in India and in consideration of which, what kind of facilities were provided to Walmart and other global retailers. The government should also enquire as to who are the beneficiaries of such bribe in India", demanded  National Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal of Confederation of All India Traders ( CAIT,) at a Press Conference held today at New Delhi.

The Press Conference was also attended by prominent trade leaders of different states including Mahender Shah,Gujarat, Satish Garg, New Delhi, Radhey Shyam Maheshwari, MP, Tilak Raj Arora and K. K. Singhal, UP, Harish Garg, Chandigargh, Sutres Patodia, Rajsthan, Kirti Rana, Maharashtra, Ramesh Khanna, Narender Madan, Vijay Pal and other senior trade leaders. Prominent farmers’ leader of the country and General Secretary of Bhartiya Kisan Morcha, Naresh Sirohi also attended the conference.

Khandelwal said that keeping in to account of above self-admittance, the condition of "Self-Certification" stipulated in the Notification of 20th September,2012 allowing FDI in Multi Brand Retail is the grey area which will encourage corruption. Under the said notification, the global retailers will self certify that they have followed the conditions laid down by the Government. No permanent regulatory mechanism has been made to keep a check over such retailers.

 They apprehended that major difference between the provisions of FDI policy laid down by Commerce Minister Anand Sharma on November 25, 2011 and the Notification issued on 20th September, 2012 can also be the outcome of such bribery and to get in to the depth of this, a parliamentary committee must be constituted in upcoming winter session of the Parliament.