Govt to act against guilty in MNC bribe scam:Pawar

New Delhi, May 4: The government will not hesitate to act against a US based multi-national company if its complicity in bribing official for securing registration and approval of its products was proved, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar informed the Lok Sabha today.

Responding to queries from Mr S S Ahluwalia (BJP) and Ms Brinda Karat (CPI-M) during question hour, Mr Pawar said the Government had taken cognisance of the disclosures made by M/S Dow Chemicals before the US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) about bribing an Indian official of Central Insecticide Board in India between 1996 and 2001 for securing registration of three of its molecules developed, and immediately referred the matter to the CBI.

''We will not hesitate to take action against anybody involved,'' he said adding that the bribed official had retired in 2001.

When Ms Karat insisted that the government should blacklist the MNC after its confession of having bribed officials for securing permission to produce goods banned in its home country as it had shown harmful effect on children.

Such companies should be taught a lesson that they can't have their way by such corrupt practices, she demanded adding the company in order to protect children of its native country was endangering the life of children in India.

Mr Ahluwalia alleged that Dow Chemicals was the successor of M/S Union Carbide Company which was responsible for the Bhopal Gas Tragedy had paid 200,000 dollars to Indian officials.

UNI