With the Adanis facing a probe in the US for attempting to bribe officials in India to get power purchase agreements, the Telangana Government has decided to give back the ₹100-crore donation made by the Adani Foundation to the Young India Skills University.
“We have decided to reject the contribution from the Adani Foundation as we don’t want controversy around the new university,” Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said.
Adani Foundation Chairperson Priti G Adani wrote to Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy last month, announcing a donation of ₹100 crore to the upcoming Skills University.
Earlier in the day, Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary and Commissioner for Industrial Promotion, wrote to Priti, asking her not to transfer the funds. “We have so far not asked any of the donors for physical transfer of funds since the university had not received the IT exemption under Section 80G,” he said in the letter.
“Though this exemption order has not come recently, I have been instructed by the Chief Minister not to seek transfer of funds in view of the present circumstances and controversies,” he said.
Addressing the media later, the Chief Minister denied allegations that the State government had taken funds from Adani. He said that any company would have a right to invest in the State like any other investor.
“Several companies and entities, including the Adani Foundation, have come forward to contribute to the university’s corpus fund. We have not accepted funds from any company or entity so far,” he said.
“Keeping in view the controversy around Adani, we have decided not to accept the contribution from the foundation and wrote a letter to them,” the Chief Minister explained.
On his trip to Delhi, he said he would meet a few Union Ministers to seek funds for various projects in the State. “It is our right to seek and get funds for the State. We have to go and meet them keeping aside political differences,” he said.