Skip to main content

Canadian farmer asks: Who benefited from GSFC's obscure investment in Karnalyte?

By A Representative
On November 8, Counterview carried an article titled “Pump and dump strategy? Erosion of GSFC's Rs 250 crore investment in Canadian firm”, by a 1975 batch IAS bureaucrat, who was called a “turnaround man” by the Times of India way back in 2006. Second article by Luke on the subject (the first one was on January 4), it is based a letter he wrote to Gujarat chief secretary Anil Mukim protesting against a 2013 Gujarat State Fertilizers and Chemicals investment of Rs 250 crore in Canadian firm Karnalyte in 2013, whose value has now fallen to Rs 10 crore!
Based on the article – which argues that the PSU investment was allegedly made without taking into account the Canadian firm’s profile the for production and supply of potash, facing glut in the international market – the “Indian Express” carried a follow-up on November 10, even as quoting GSFC CMD Arvind Agrawal as stating he had not seen the letter, as it “is very long”, adding, “It is a seven-year-old matter and there is no point in going in, digging (sic!).”
This was followed by the Congress-controlled “National Herald” doing a detailed story on November 20 (following it up with a front page flier on November 22 in its Sunday print edition), titled “Gujarat rope trick”, and wondering, “Who decided in 2013 to invest Rs 250 crore in a dubious company in Canada? The investment has turned into junk and the Canadian company with three employees did not fulfil its commitment in the last eight years. But somebody benefitted. Who?”
Based on these article, Stockhouse, a top Canadian financial portal, one of North America’s largest small cap investor communities, whose members include affluent investors actively researching stock and looking for new opportunities, carries a scathing letter on the GSFC investment by one of its members. Titled “Farmer Logic”, the letter has been apparently written by a Canadian farmer, referring in passing that Luke, on retirement, has taken up farming. Read on:
*** 
Interesting articles out of Gujarat! Thanks for putting those on for me to read. A few months ago when I started my thoughts on here, I had a hard time aligning why a State run enterprise would invest in a foreign country to get something they could buy on the open market. Those posts were around August 17th.
Having been to India many years ago, I saw (and it happens here too) that a Government might not be corrupt but people in the Government can and sure will be, and they try to get their hands on some money.
In one of the articles Mr. Luke who is on the back 9 of his life and has taken up farming (God Bless him) said he has no personal interest in this but wants to bring the truth to the people of Gujarat. Note, no personal interest but he knows something was up all along. 
At another point in one of the articles, it says that money went down the drain.....and farmer logic says check the end of the drain to see who that money benefited.
Who has zero-NO Shares in this venture but yet have a personal interest and are getting paid?! The current management and board members! Doesn't anyone else see that?
Of course they want to keep things the same and conserve cash.....to pay themselves.
Those of you who are from the farm or are handy will know that when issues/problems come up, people look for someone or something to blame. I have an adopted brother who many years ago used to help on the farm. Everything he touched broke or got smashed. He could blame this or that or another person but it turns out he was the common denominator involved in every wreck and managed to survived with excuses and blaming others and other things until my Dad (he loved that boy and gave him many chances) realized that the boy was the problem.
Who is the common denominator and has survived all this turmoil? Danielle and GSFC board members (individual people) have continued to be personally paid since this all started and in the meantime have invested not one dollar personally into this company!!!?
Danielle and the current board have seen Mr. Phinney get run over and out of the company, along with all the other board members who actually owned shares as well as an interim CEO who owned a good amount of shares and a recent CEO.
Danielle and the current board are at the end of the drain receiving all the money and the benefit. I looked through the Proxy materials. Danielle and the whole board who own no shares are the ones getting paid and they are disparaging proposed board members who actually own shares? Doesn't anyone else see that as upside down?
in one of those articles from Gujarat media Mr. Luke or the writer says that the current interim CEO is unknown!!!
Read the Proxy that was just sent out, Danielle is praised as having all this experience and knowledge....in what operating/producing fertilizer venture? In Political alignment with the personal individuals from GSFC on the board it would appear she is well versed at. She, along with the GSFC individuals took home good personal money and survived Mr. Phinney and everyone else ever involved and not one of them owns a share!
To me it is right there! They are the only ones benefiting Can't anyone see that? It appears the higher ups in GSFC and people in the State of Gujarat and the Government are figuring it out.
The Fox is in the Hen House. There is no one left for Danielle to throw under the bus and survive, unless someone from GSFC will be the fall guy.....or will GSFC turn on Danielle?

Comments

TRENDING

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor*  This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Two more "aadhaar-linked" Jharkhand deaths: 17 die of starvation since Sept 2017

Kaleshwar's sons Santosh and Mantosh Counterview Desk A fact-finding team of the Right to Feed Campaign, pointing towards the death of two more persons due to starvation in Jharkhand, has said that this has happened because of the absence of aadhaar, leading to “persistent lack of food at home and unavailability of any means of earning.” It has disputed the state government claims that these deaths are due to reasons other than starvation, adding, the authorities have “done nothing” to reduce the alarming state of food insecurity in the state.

Epic war against caste system is constitutional responsibility of elected government

Edited by well-known Gujarat Dalit rights leader Martin Macwan, the book, “Bhed-Bharat: An Account of Injustice and Atrocities on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-18)” (available in English and Gujarati*) is a selection of news articles on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-2018) published by Dalit Shakti Prakashan, Ahmedabad. Preface to the book, in which Macwan seeks to answer key questions on why the book is needed today: *** The thought of compiling a book on atrocities on Dalits and thus present an overall Indian picture had occurred to me a long time ago. Absence of such a comprehensive picture is a major reason for a weak social and political consciousness among Dalits as well as non-Dalits. But gradually the idea took a different form. I found that lay readers don’t understand numbers and don’t like to read well-researched articles. The best way to reach out to them was storytelling. As I started writing in Gujarati and sharing the idea of the book with my friends, it occurred to me that while...

What's behind Donald Trump's 'narco-state' accusation against Venezuela

By Manolo De Los Santos  The US government has revived its campaign to label Venezuela a "narco-state", accusing its top leadership of drug trafficking and slapping hefty bounties on their heads for capture. This campaign, which only momentarily took a backseat, is a strategic fabrication, not a factual assessment. This accusation, particularly amplified under the Trump Administration, is a calculated smokescreen to justify a long-standing agenda: the overthrow of the Venezuelan government and the seizure of its vast oil and mineral resources. A closer examination of the facts reveals a country that has actively fought drug trafficking on its own terms and a US government with a clear and consistent history of destabilizing independent countries in Latin America.

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

1857 War of Independence... when Hindu-Muslim separatism, hatred wasn't an issue

"The Sepoy Revolt at Meerut", Illustrated London News, 1857  By Shamsul Islam* Large sections of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs unitedly challenged the greatest imperialist power, Britain, during India’s First War of Independence which began on May 10, 1857; the day being Sunday. This extraordinary unity, naturally, unnerved the firangees and made them realize that if their rule was to continue in India, it could happen only when Hindus and Muslims, the largest two religious communities were divided on communal lines.

Ground reality: Israel would a remain Jewish state, attempt to overthrow it will be futile

By NS Venkataraman*  Now that truce has been arrived at between Israel and Hamas for a period of four days and with release of a few hostages from both sides, there is hope that truce would be further extended and the intensity of war would become significantly less. This likely “truce period” gives an opportunity for the sworn supporters and bitter opponents of Hamas as well as Israel and the observers around the world to introspect on the happenings and whether this war could have been avoided. There is prolonged debate for the last several decades as to whom the present region that has been provided to Jews after the World War II belong. View of some people is that Jews have been occupants earlier and therefore, the region should belong to Jews only. However, Christians and those belonging to Islam have also lived in this regions for long period. While Christians make no claim, the dispute is between Jews and those who claim themselves to be Palestinians. In any case...

Fate of Yamuna floodplain still hangs in "balance" despite National Green Tribunal rap on Sri Sri event

By Ashok Shrimali* While the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday reportedly pulled up the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for granting permission to hold spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's World Culture Festival on the banks of Yamuna, the chief petitioners against the high-profile event Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan has declared, the “fate of the floodplain still hangs in balance.”