The recent media reports with regard to Ms. Nira Radia’s linkages with Minister A Raja needs to be investigated thoroughly and completely, including the unholy nexus that existed at the Nira Radia owned Noesis – a company that lobbies for India & Foreign companies to influence policy and implement legislative changes.

For more than a decade, the problem of retired officials batting with a corporate interest is visiblly seen in the case of petroleum sector. Several officers, particularly geo-scientists who are very key component in exploration, after retirement, joined several private companies and the same private companies in turn got very good blocks in their biddings of NELP in different phases. The reason for surprise is that as long as they are in service, neither of the government owned oil and gas exploration companies are benefitted due to their accruement. The latest revelations that exposed murky deals in telecom sector with involvement of so called consultancy services and the current, and ex top bureaucrats in the ministry of telecommunications makes it evident that the same problem is spreading in to other sectors. Another powerful sector where the corporate interests are seriously fighting for increasing their foothold is power sector. Some one is yet to reveal such officials involvement in getting awards for prestigious power projects. Now we will come back to the present case. The magnitude of the involvement requires not only thorough investigation but also a relook in to the administrative ethics.

Names of four high profile bureaucrats came out prominently for their association with which played an influential role in peddling and acting on behalf of multinational powers in India. These are Pradip Baijal, former Chairman – TRAI and former Secretary – Disinvestment Government of India, C M Vasudev, former Secretary – Economic Affairs, former Secretary – Expenditure and former Secretary – Banking, Ajay Dua, former Secretary – Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and D P S Seth, former Member – TRAI, former CMD of BSNL and ex-officio Secretary – DOT.

Pradip Baijal, during his role as Secretary, Disinvestment from 1999 to 2003, was responsible for selling off India’s strategic assets to private companies, including VSNL. VSNL was bought by Tatas. Is it pure coincidence that Tatas are one of the biggest clients for Nira Radia’s Vaishnavi and Radia / Baijal – run Noesis Strategic Consulting Services? Further, during his tenure as Chairman, Baijal was widely accused of doing a sweetheart deal for the then Mukesh Ambani led Reliance Telecom and Tata Telecom by allowing them t migrate from limited to full mobility after a TDSAT judgment had ruled that the limited mobility decision of the Government was illegal and therefore the licenses need to be cancelled. Baijal invented a concept of Unified Access Licenses under the garb of unified licensing (which was never implemented – not till date) to make sure that the Tatas and Mukesh Ambani led telecom company got a free passage at 2001 prices in 2003 – by circumventing the bidding and auction procedure for allocate of spectrum. Is it a mere coincidence that Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries and Tatas are both some of the biggest clients for Nira Radia’s Vaishnavi and Pradip Baijal’s / Nira Radia’s jointly owned Noesis?

C M Vasudev has held many positions and had the ability to influence many strategic decisions which favored private parties through legislative and tax amendments as his role as Secretary, Economic Affairs and before that as Secretary, Expenditure. By his own admission, he admits to having cut interest rates down during his role as Secretary, Economic Affairs. Further as Secretary Banking, he would oversee the boards of several public sector banks and the applications made for the very elusive banking sector. It needs to be investigated whether MNCs and Indian Companies who then benefited from his actions as Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, including banks, have now become clients of Noesis Strategic Consulting.

Ajay Dutta, in his role as Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion in the Ministry of Commerce since July 2005 was responsible for overseeing the foreign investment promotion and general policies of the Government which could help many MNCs set up shops and clear applications for investment. It needs to be investigated whether any of the companies whose applications were cleared during his tenure as Secretary – DIPP or companies who set up offices in India with permission from his office / FIPB at that time has now become clients of Noesis – with whom he is currently associated.

Lastly, Dr. D P S Seth has not only been the Chairman of BSNL but also a Member of the TRAI between March 2003 and March 2006. It needs to be seen whether he, through Noesis Consulting, has been providing strategic advice to telecom companies who would fall under his direct jurisdiction – first as a Member of the Telecom Commission and later as a Member of TRAI.

In addition to direct clients, it is also well known that several lobbying firms from Washington, the UK and New York routinely use the services of Noesis Consulting to peddle influence and influence policy in sensitive areas such as defense, civil nuclear, national security / equipment purchase, power, banking and Telecom. Given the fact that many of these areas are closely related to national security, India’s independence and sovereignty as well as strategic costs. It is important that the role of these former Government officials and any others who are associated with Noesis Consulting, in view of the facts that have emerged from the phone tapping be thoroughly investigated by CBI or any other appropriate agency.