Tuesday, May 10 2005 15:46 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Under attack from Left parties on the Centaur Hotel sell-off, Finance Minister P Chidambaram today (May 10, 2005) said that the Government would indicate as soon as possible what action it proposes to take on Comptroller and Auditory General (CAG) findings pointing certain lapses by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government on the disinvestment.

"We are considering the report and I will as soon as possible indicate what we will do," Chidambaram told the Rajya Sabha.

He was responding to Communist Party of India Marxist (CPM) and Congress members who vociferously wanted to know what action is being taken on the CAG findings, as the Finance Minister had assured the House as early as August last year (2004) that he would consider taking action after receiving the CAG findings.

Chidambaram's response came a day after Left parties have given an ultimatum that the Government should institute a CBI inquiry into the disinvestment of Centaur Hotels at Juhu and Mumbai Airport within 24 hours.

Now the report has come out, the Finance Minister must spell out immediately the Government's response, CPM members said adding, "We want specific assurances" from the Minister on the issue.

Dipankar Mukherjee CPM said that former Disinvestment Minister Arun Shourie was "intimidating" the CAG by his comments.

"This is direct intimidation as well as tampering of evidence. Some affirmative action needed to be taken," he said wondering how many reports the Government required to initiate action on the sell-off when the Standing Committee and CAG have passed strictures.