Walmart probe report tabled in Lok Sabha

The government on Thursday tabled in the Lok Sabha the report of a one-man committee that probed United States retail giant Walmart's alleged lobbying activities to enter the Indian market without concluding the probe “in absence of any material evidence”.

The one-man committee headed by Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court Mukul Mudgal was set up in the wake of a political uproar over the disclosure of Walmart's lobbying among US lawmakers since 2008 to facilitate its entry into the Indian market.

Not satisfied with replies provided by Walmart on various issues, including the exact amount spent on India-specific lobbying, the panel concluded that “the matter would need to be further investigated” in the event of disclosure of additional details in the US.

The Corporate Affairs Ministry had tabled the probe report in the Rajya Sabha in December last year.

In an Action Taken Report  on the probe findings, which had also been tabled in the Rajya Sabha, the government had said it would initiate fresh action against Walmart if an ongoing “foreign corrupt practices” probe by US authorities reveals any violation in India by the global retail giant.

The government had said in its Action Taken Report  that the “Ministry of External Affairs through Embassy of India in Washington is continuously monitoring developments” in these matters.