Congress walks out in LS over Purti Group loan

The Congress members staged a walk-out from the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, demanding the government's response over the CAG report highlighting irregularities in granting loan to a company of union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.

The CAG report said Gadkari was one of the "promoters" of Purti Group that was sanctioned a loan of Rs.84.12 crore by IREDA in violation of guidelines.

Raising the issue in the house, Congress member Deepender Hooda said that Purti Group had taken a loan of Rs.84.12 crore from the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) and used interest subsidy for a coal plant instead of using it for renewable energy, causing a loss of Rs.12.7 crore to public exchequer.

He asked the government to probe the issue. BJP members protested Hooda's remarks and last part of his speech could not be heard in the din.

The Congress has been seeking Gadkari's resignation after a Comptroller and Auditor General report named him as one of the "promoters and/or directors" of Purti Sakhar Karkhana Ltd. that was sanctioned the loan by IREDA.

Congress members in the house sought a response from the government and later staged a walk-out.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said that the minister had not committed any wrongdoing.

He said report of the CAG will be examined by the Public Accounts Committee. "There is no personal involvement of anybody. What has been given others, has been given to this (Purti) also. There is no wrongdoing," he said.

Indo-Asian News Service

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