The Union Cabinet, on Thursday, gave approval to the constitution of a one-man committee to look into the bribery allegations and lobbying activities against retail giant Walmart.
The probe was approved at a meeting of the Cabinet here, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The committee will submit its report within three months time.
The terms of reference of the Committee include: (i) To inquire into recent media reports on disclosures of Walmart before the US Senate regarding its lobbying activities and details; (ii) Whether Walmart undertook any activities in India in contravention of any Indian law; (iii) Any other matter relevant or incidental to the above. In the last quarter, ended September 30, 2012, the company spent $1.65 million (about Rs. 10 crore) on various lobbying issues, which included discussions related to FDI in India.
Bharti Wal-Mart has already denied wrongdoing, saying the allegations of corruption are “entirely false”.
