One-man commission to investigate charges of Wal-Mart India lobbying
The commission will be headed by a retired Supreme Court or High Court judge. The terms of reference include probe into “recent media reports regarding their lobbying activities” and “whether Wal-Mart undertook any activity in India in contravention of any Indian law,” an official said.
Wal-Mart has consistently denied involvement in any wrongdoing.
The commission will also inquire into reports of Wal-Mart spending $25 million (R125 crore) towards lobbying activities in India since 2008 and whether these breached Indian laws. The commission will submit its findings within 90 days of its constitution.
The Cabinet note to this effect was circulated for inter-ministerial consultations recently by the corporate affairs ministry. Corporate affairs minister Sachin Pilot said on Thursday that his ministry was in the process of setting up the commission.
The move comes over a month after the Parliament’s Winter session where opposition parties disrupted proceedings alleging wrongdoings by Wal-Mart and wanted to know who were paid the reported amount of R125 crore mentioned by the company before the US Congress.
It was in November last year when Bharti Walmart, a 50:50 joint venture of Wal-Mart
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