radiaSRT/srt/63 Tata Adviser Jun 16 2009 13 50 07.srt

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(Phone ringing)

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Niira: Mr. Prasad, Hi!
Prasad: Yeah.
Niira: Are you in a meeting? Should I call you later?
Prasad: No, no.

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Niira: No, no, no...I was...sorry. I just wanted to...I have got Tata Power going into an editor's briefing just now.

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Niira: We are withdrawing 500 megawatts of power supply that is being given to R Power for northern Bombay, for north Bombay.

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Prasad: Hmm!
Niira: This is based on the Supreme Court judgement which was given last year on distribution and allowing them to distribute directly.

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Prasad: Right, right.
Niira: Now, it is obviously quite a tough thing to get Tata Power to agree that they should now just withdraw the power and do it themselves.

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Niira: The chairman was very... Ratan Tata was very keen but the company had not wanting to do it but they have finally agreed.

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Prasad: Ok.
Niira: Uh huh... What I wanted to tell them was three things. One is that when we looked at Sasan, when Sasan was given as a UMPT, diversion of coal took place at that time.

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Niira: You remember Tata power had gone to court against diversion of coal. 
Prasad: I know, I know. Infact...

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Niira: Yeah and we lost the High Court battle also. We are presently in the Supreme Court.

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Niira: Then there was Spectrum. Spectrum was allotted by Mr. Raja on a retrospective basis. 
Prasad: Correct.

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Niira: To him and then to TDSAT. TDSAT judgment again was done for nothing less than 375 pages...Uh huh, again landed up in Supreme Court.

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Prasad: Yes.
Niira: The third thing is gas. Price has never been determined.

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Niira: Price has... Well price has been determined by the government but as far as the MOU said it never had a price on it. Again natural resource.

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Niira: Here is a man who only wants to use the system to garner natural resource for personal profit. 
Prasad: Yes.

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Niira: That's the perspective that I want to put out because he is also getting getting iron ore mines in Jharkhand being allocated when he doesn't even have a steel plant. 
Prasad: Yes.

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Niira: This is what I wanted Tata... If Tata Power briefs this is that...

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Prasad: No, that is absolutely right. No nothing is going to happen. Absolutely the right perspective and I want to tell you one thing more.

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Niira: Hmm!
Prasad: Go a little bit even beyond this and then say... Niira, the natural resource of the country should be gainfully utilised...

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Niira: Hmm!
Prasad: And in a manner that is in public interest. 
Niira: Correct.

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Prasad: Here is something, someone, who is trying to garner all the natural resources as you said for the private profit and... And whether it is particularly with reference to gas as an (inaudible) how a private MOU...

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Niira: Hmm!
Prasad: Between two partners of a contractor.
Niira: Hmm!

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Prasad: You should bring that you know. Reliance Industries is a contractor to Government of India. 
Niira: Correct, correct.

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Prasad: And the Government of India asked us to you know dig the foundation and build a house. Whatever right? Develop something.
Niira: Hmm!

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Prasad: Now the contractor has two partners. Partners are brothers or whatever. A contractor is an entity. 
Niira: Hmm!

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Prasad: And we can - there are two partners. 
Niira: Hmm!

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Prasad: And...how can a private agreement between these two partners...takeover the government's natural resource and use it for the benefit of one of the parties.

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Niira: Hmm! Correct.
Prasad: That is what is happening here. See...

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Niira: Yes absolutely.
Prasad: Whatever may be the private arrangement between the brothers, right...
Niira: That's their private arrangement.

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Prasad: It's a private arrangement. How can that be used to select for a one person corner in 35% of the gas?
Niira: Yes.

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Prasad: And...you know when the rest of the gas is so widely being distributed, right?
Niira: Yes.

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Prasad: So isn't this that a private arrangement between two parties is now taking what you call as garnering all the, capturing all the natural resources of the country and the government is a silent spectator.

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Niira: Hmm! Absolutely. Absolutely. 
Prasad: This shows a clear trend whether it is in gas, whether it is in coal or whether it is in power or whether it is in...

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Niira: Whether it is in telecom spectrum. That's right.
Prasad: Or iron ore. Where ever it is.

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Niira: Yes. All natural resources of the country. For one man. 
Prasad: Yes!

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Niira: Well I just wanted to get your ok for us to push that (inaudible) yeah. So it will be on the bases of all informal briefings and then let the mind...
(Tape ends abruptly.)