Government statement doesn't clarify allegations on De La Rue: Chandy

A day after the Centre refuted allegations that a British company was shortlisted for printing of plastic notes in India, former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Wednesday said the government failed to clarify De La Rue's involvement in 'Make in India' and the India-UK Tech summit.

"According to the Finance Ministry, the company De La Rue has been denied security clearance and no fresh order has been awarded to the company since 2014. This only reiterates the earlier statement made by the Ministry that it does not have any dealings with De La Rue," Chandy said in a statement.

"There has been no clarification from the Central Government regarding the collaboration of this company with the pet project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Make in India and India-UK Tech summit."

Chandy said: "The Finance Ministry has also not responded to my allegations that the British company has been shortlisted for printing plastic notes in India. The Finance Ministry statement revealed that the De La Rue Company has applied for setting-up a factory in India and no action has been taken in this regard."

"In this context, it is notable that Siva Sena MP Hemant Godse in an interview to a news website (The Quint) had alleged that the Maharashtra government led by Devendra Fadnavis has allotted 10 acres of land to set up a factory for the tainted company De La Rue," he added.

Kerala Congressmen on Tuesday accused the central government of collaborating with a blacklisted De La Rue.

Earlier in the month, Chandy, in a letter to Modi, cited a media report that three companies, including De La Rue, had been shortlisted for printing plastic notes, and requested the ministry concerned "publish the list of companies that are shortlisted/qualified for printing plastic currency in India".

The company in a statement, on December 9, said: "De La Rue is not supplying paper for printing of Indian currency and we are not associated with printing of currency in India at present in any form. De La Rue has received no notice nor are we aware that we are blacklisted in India."

The Ministry of Finance, on Tuesday, without naming the company, in a statement said: "No fresh contract has been given to this company by the Government during the last three years."

"The security clearance for this company has been withheld by the Ministry of Finance. Hence, no fresh orders have been placed with the said company since 2014," the ministry further added.

De La Rue designs, integrates, manufactures and delivers banknotes, banknote paper, polymer and security features.

--IANS

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