3 Firms Tied To Baba Ramdev's Aide Got Uttarakhand Tourism Project Tender, Violating Norms: Report (Photo on X @Ach_Balkrishna)
Dehradun, Uttarakhand: In December 2022, the Uttarakhand government’s tourism board floated a tender to promote adventure tourism at the George Everest Estate near Mussoorie, which has allegedly violated the state’s tender norms. Notably, all the three companies emerged as bidders that were linked to Baba Ramdev’s longtime aide, Acharya Balkrishna, revealed an investigative report by Indian Express.
Balkrishna is the co-founder and managing director of the Rs 6,199-crore Patanjali Ayurved Ltd and Baba Ramdev’s longtime aide, who owns shares in all three companies that secured the contract.
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Balkrishna has more than 99% stakes in two companies that won the contract — Prakriti Organics India Pvt Ltd and Bharuwa Agri Science Pvt Ltd. The third company that secured the tender is Rajas Aerosports and Adventures Pvt Ltd, which Balkrishna held a 25.01% stake at the bidding stage but later consolidated his control, increasing his shareholding to 69.43% months after the tender was awarded, the report disclosed.
The companies have a common shareholder — Balkrishna. In the tourism project, the government had promised to hand over 142 acres, including parking facilities, pathways, a helipad, five wooden huts, a café, two museums, and an observatory developed by the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board, to the winning bidder for an annual concession fee of just Rs 1 crore.
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Additionally, four other Balkrishna-owned companies, Bharuwa Agro Solutions, Bharuwa Solutions, Fit India Organic, and Patanjali Revolution, acquired a combined 33.25% stake in Rajas Aerosports and Adventures.
The development allegedly violates anti-collusion undertaking signed by the bidders, which certifies and confirms that, in the preparation and submission of this Bid, it has not acted in concert or in collusion with any other bidder or other person/s and also did not do any act, deed or thing which is or could be regarded as anti-competitive.
