‘Charges against Pachauri false’

Making a point-by-point rebuttal of allegations of financial impropriety against its director general R K Pachauri, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) on Wednesday said the charges published in London's Sunday Telegraph were "unfounded and false" and demanded an immediate apology from the newspaper.

TERI listed all payments received by it from organisations worldwide for 'services' rendered to them by Pachauri, who is also chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The newspaper had leveled several accusations, which engulfed not just Pachauri but TERI and the Tata group of companies, which had set up TERI but no longer has any association with the institute.

"We demand an unqualified apology from the Telegraph for this libelous piece of journalism or else we would take recourse to other measures as we consider appropriate and necessary," TERI said.

TERI'S REBUTTAL

Allegation: Pachauri has business interests with bodies which have been investing billions of dollars in organisations dependent on the IPCC's policy recommendations.

Response: IPCC makes no policy recommendations. There is nothing in these reports that could have any proprietary benefit.

Allegation: Pachauri was trying to favour Tatas, which "exercises enormous political power", that Tatas continue to be associated with TERI.

Response: Tata group has no relation with TERI even though it set it up originally. In no way is TERI responsible for the work of the Tata group just as the Tata group is in no way responsible for the functioning of TERI.

Allegation: TERI does not publish its accounts.

Response: TERI has tax-exempt status in every country it operates in. Such status is granted on the basis of proper auditing of accounts and proper scrutiny of documents

Allegation: Pachauri holds posts in a number of organisations, including Credit Suisse Bank, and is silent about the money he earns, "which must run into millions of dollars".

... contd.

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