The Hindu : `No favouritism in HUDCO dealings'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 17, 2004

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`No favouritism in HUDCO dealings'

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, FEB. 16. The Union Minister of State for Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation, Bandaru Dattatreya, today defended the former Union Minister and president of the State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party, H.N. Ananth Kumar, stating that there had not been any "favouritism or nepotism" in any of the dealings of the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO).

Refuting the allegations made by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation, Mr. Dattatreya said at a press conference here that HUDCO's dealings had been above board and the former Minister, Mr. Ananth Kumar, did not have any say in them. HUDCO had taken decisions that were "prudent, well-considered, and which safeguarded its business interests."

"We are replying to the charges and will await its outcome in the Supreme Court." (The Centre for Public Interest Litigation has filed a case in the apex court.)

On the charge that HUDCO had sanctioned schemes worth Rs. 5,420 crores on a single day, Mr. Dattatreya asked, "What is wrong in doing good business?" Of the sanctioned projects, there were 40 in the public sector amounting to Rs. 5, 142 crores and the remaining five projects were public-private partnerships.

The HUDCO Board, he said, had decided on the files and loans were given against security.

As for the allegation that Mr. Ananth Kumar's bills for his mobile phone and personal cook had been paid by HUDCO, Mr. Dattatreya said he was "entitled" to it and previous Ministers holding the portfolio also had made use of the facility.

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