By Ben Wilson
Opposition to the Adani coal mine continues, although it is not making so Many headlines at the present. As well as maintaining the pressure on Adani, businesses working or seeking to work on the Carmichael coal mine project are paid a great deal of attention. There is 25 banks, engineering and other companies that have rules themselves out, and the list continues to grow.
The less than honest way this outfit operates has contributed to itd bad reputation.
A new scandal is gripping India, Adani’s home turf. Twenty-five companies, including some in the Adani group, have been charged with corrupt behaviour involving public officials and the supply of coal.
According to investigators, there has been a criminal conspiracy to defraud in relation to the supply of coal.
Adani Enterprises, One of the Adani group, was charged in January, along with a former chairman of National Consumer Cooperative Federation for alleged irregularities in floating tenders for supply of coal to Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation (APGENCO) in July 2010.
There is a long list of corruption charges and allegations involving Adani companies.
This latest case involves abuse of position to inflate the price of electricity to consumers and profiteering by the companies involved.
In an interview with News Click, the chairman of the All India Power Engineers’ Federation, Padamjit Singh said; “Corruption in coal supply to power stations results in increasing the cost of electricity to power consumers while filling corporate coffers.”
He added that the Madhya Pradesh government should cancel its power purchasing agreement in the Chhindwara project with Adani group.
This may well cause more problems for Adani in Australia. It should. This is not a fit entity to be given the green light to operate in Australia, to run a questionable multi-million-dollar project and enjoy the cutting of corners and big handouts from the Australian government. Especially when it involves the prospect of major environmental damage and a significant contribution to Australia’s carbon footprint.