Did the government know the background of the DY Patil Group before putting taxpayers’ money into their hands?
STABROEK NEWS, SEPTEMBER 27 --- We recall that in 2013, opposition leaders had raised questions about two companies, Surendra Engineering (SE) and the DY Patil Group (DYP). It was recently reported that government may have lost millions of taxpayers’ dollars to SE, in the speciality hospital fiasco. The status of the $800 million drainage pump contract still has not been publicly revealed to taxpayers. We also recall that in December 2013 Minister Ramsammy said that no known connection existed between SE and DYP. Being curious, I researched SE for myself and wrote a letter captioned, ‘Interesting connections between DY Patil, Surendra officials’ (SN, 17 May), in which I outlined my findings in relation to their businesses in Africa.
Because DYP continues to do business in Guyana I decided to also check on DYP for myself. We know of reports that DYP was given 10,000 acres of land in Canje for an agricultural project, and we know of the contract to build and operate a medical college at Turkeyen. There is therefore much at stake.
Editor, I discovered that DYP was founded by Dnyandeo Yashwantrao Patil of India. The company is a business empire including universities, stadiums, hotels and other undertakings in many countries.
The empire is managed by the Patil family, and the current chairman is the founder’s son, Ajeenkya Patil.
Editor, my online checks uncovered past examples of questionable behaviour. In one case, in India itself, on April 16, 2012, State Medical Education Minister, Vijaykumar Gavit, announced a government probe into an alleged racket at the DY Patil Medical College. Editor, complaints against DYP schools, and investigations in more than one country, should be a cause of concern to Guyanese. After all, DY Patil is presently in the process of building a medical college in Guyana. In addition to complaints against DYP schools, I have found reports of other alleged transgressions.
In April 2011, multiple media outlets, including the Press Trust of India, and the Times of India, reported that a judge in Pune (VV Joshi) issued an order for the Patil family and two employees to be investigated in relation to land-grabbing.
The investigation stemmed from a complaint made by a businessman, Sadashiv Panwar and his son, Sampat Panwar over thirty-eight acres of land on which a school was to be built by the Patils.
Editor, as a Guyanese, these reports of alleged illegal activity by the DY Patil Group are very worrisome. Will government tell the public whether or not these matters were known to decision-makers? If not, why not? Were these matters considered prior to putting taxpayers’ money into the hands of the DY Patil Group?
Yours faithfully,
Mark DaCosta