Flogging the Centaur

In its earlier communication to the CBI, the Union finance ministry is reported to have ruled out any mala fide factors in the sale of the hotel to the single bidder, or in fixing the reserve price. The allegation of mala fide lies in the belief that merely because there was a single bidder for the hotel, there must have been something wrong. However, the decision to sell the hotel to a single bidder was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Disinvestment and it does not suggest that any one person 8212; the disinvestment minister, members of the PMO or any other person 8212; was responsible for the deal. There is now an attempt to raise questions as to why did the other bidders opted out. It can only be hoped that the government does not now choose to harass those who had decided to opt out, because this will certainly send out a wrong signal on the government8217;s disinvestment process, and could even dissuade people from bidding for anything related to the government 8212; today it may be the sale of a hotel, tomorrow it may well be the construction of a road 8212; in the future.

Since the CBI has not found enough evidence to pursue the case, it would have been far more sensible on the part of the government to have informed its Left allies that the matter is now closed. Flogging a dead horse in this manner is a futile 8212; and damaging 8212; business.