ONGC contingent liability up by Rs 1100 cr

ENS ECONOMIC BUREAU

CALCUTTA, NOV 14: Oil Natural Gas Corporation Ltd's contingent liability has shot up by over Rs 1100 crore in one year. It is Rs 4640.88 crore as on March 31, 1998, going up from Rs 3522.12 crore a year earlier. Its total contingent liability thus works out to around 29 per cent of its turnover of Rs 15,953.70 crore as on March 31, 1998.

Moreover, the central public sector company's panel of five auditors -- Chandabhoy & Jassoobhoy, Lodha & Co, AF Ferguson & Co, MR Narain & Co and Lovelock & Lewes has heavily qualified its latest annual report, though not on contingent liabilities.

The auditors have also noted that the company's balance sheet gave a true and fair picture, subject to their qualifications.

In their note, the auditors invited the attention of the shareholders on various issues, including adjustment of possible loss in bond investment of Rs 38.61 crore, loans of Rs 202.41 crore already overdue, non-consideration of depreciation and discrepancy of Rs 15.2 crore in physical stock which hasnot been adjusted. On the contingent liability front, according to the annual report, the increase of Rs 1118.77 crore includes:

fresh income tax demand of Rs 332.80 crore due to disallowing of exchange loss accounted on accrual basis for assessment year 1995-96;

another income tax demand which increased to Rs 1563.47 crore in 1997-98 against Rs 1417.43 crore in the previous year, in respect of disallowance of depreciation and exchange loss;

Excise demand of Rs 156.49 crore;

claims made by contractors which increased to Rs 1052.49 crore in 1997-98 from Rs 870.16 crore in the previous year.

claims made by Mumbai Port Trust which increased to Rs 108.57 crore in 1997-98 from Rs 91.44 crore in the previous year;

In addition to this, ONGC has listed penalty demanded by the Gujarat government worth Rs 95.86 crore, excise demand of Rs 42.42 crore, octroi claim of Rs 33.67 crore, another excise demand of Rs 697.03 crore and local cess surcharge of Rs 147.16 crore demanded byTN..It has stated that the IT adjusted Rs 452.3 cr unilaterally and another Rs 100 crore was deposited.

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