The government feels that it is palpably clear that senior retired bureaucrat Rathikant Basu was invited to join as chief executive officer of the Rupert Murdoch-owned Star TV's Indian wing "only to share and advise the company with regard to his knowledge of government secrets, policies, programmes strategies and structures both existing and proposed.''

In a letter sent to News Television India (NTVI), the Hong Kong-based channel's Indian company, N Slvasailam who is deputy secretary in the department of personnel has said that while he was a member of the Indian Administrative Service), and "particularly while he was serving as director general of Doordarshan and as secretary in the department of electronics, Basu had been privy to and concerned with the evolution of a large number of policy decision concerning the area of information and broadcasting, electronic media in particular, and government secrets of strategic and sensitive nature in these fields."

The letter points out that it is clear that Basu was offered such high commercial terms that they emboldened him to refuse the government pension. Furthermore, the letter says that the information available to a government servant "shall not devolve on any other person/institution without the knowledge and consent of the central government."

While confirming receipt of the letters to NTVI and Basu, Star TV sources said the government cannot take any action against Basu as he had voluntarily decided not to accept any pension when he took premature retirement on September 30 last year, particularly since withdrawal of pension is the maximum penalty provided under Rule 26 of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules 1958. Basu, an IAS officer from the Gujarat cadre, retired as secretary, electronics. Referring to the contents of the letter sent to Basu, Karanjawala denied that Basu had been negotiating a commercial employment while still in service. On the directive to Basu to leave his present post within a stipulated period (learnt to be 72 hours), the attorney said the government did not have any powers to give such directives.

Asked about the action that NTVI or Basu proposed to take, he said that there was no obligation on his client to take any action, since Basu had already voluntarily given up his pension. However, he admitted that consultations were on to decide what action would be taken in case the government took any more steps in the matter.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.