A two-day board meeting of Maytas Infrastructure's six-member new board, which comprises four government-nominees, is likely to divest some projects nearing completion in a bid to raise funds to complete other assignments.
Acquiring Maytas Infrastructure could be his chance to show his organisation's ability to think big.
Satyam founder Ramalinga Raju admitted to a Rs 7,800-crore (Rs 78-billion) fraud in the IT company on January 7, weeks after a bid to acquire the two Maytas firms failed. Raju said that he had been cooking the books for years and the Maytas acquisition bid was an attempt to fill fictitious assets with real ones.
Infrastructure Leasing and Finance Company is poised to acquire management control of the troubled infrastructure company Maytas Infrastructure owned by family members of Ramalinga Raju, former chairman and managing director of Satyam Computers, who confessed to financial fraud on January 7. The leading non-banking finance company is emerging as a government preference given its prominent role in infrastructure finance in the country.
Maytas was awarded the Rs 4.8 billion contract for commissioning of sub-stations, transmission and distribution lines in the Ahmadnagar, Beed and Latur districts in September last year. Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said, "After the fraud committed by Raju came to light and the connection between Satyam and Maytas became evident, I have ordered Mahavitaran to cancel the contract and start bidding process afresh."
According to sources, the family has pledged majority of its shareholding and real estate assets to various institutions. Two institutions, Maharashtra government's financial arm, Sicom, and IFCI, confirmed that Maytas promoters had pledged shares around a year ago to raise resources. IL&FS too has similar exposure to Maytas, said sources. However, this could not be confirmed.
The inspection would be conducted as per the provisions of section 209A of the Companies Act, corporate affairs minister Prem Chand Gupta told reporters on Thursday.
The Andhra Pradesh government has scrapped its 10-month-old agreement with Maytas Infrastructure-led consortium for the implementation of the prestigious Rs 12,230-crore (Rs 122.390 billion) Hyderabad Metro Rail Project.
Under the CDR package, the company has sought a debt-restructuring of Rs 2,800 crore, including Rs 1,800 crore for Maytas Infra and another Rs 1,000 crore for various special-purpose vehicles. Sources say the investment companies may have diverted the Rs 400 crore to Satyam Computers. "As per the account trail, this loan of Rs 400 crore was finally given to Satyam Computer, routing through these investment arms," sources close to the CDR package said.
Further, the market regulator has not got any request from the Satyam board asking for an extension to publish the financial results. However, Sebi will consider the request if they receive it, clarified Sebi Chairman C B Bhave who was briefing mediapersons after the Sebi board meeting.
The Ramalinga Raju family promoted Maytas Infrastructure on Thursday said its chairman and non-executive director R C Sinha has tendered his resignation.
The difference, however, lies in Satyam over-stating its revenue, cash position and profits, while Maytas Infra under- stated its profit in April-June quarter and the discrepancies were 'duly accounted for' in the company's books later. While the role of auditors in Satyam fiasco is questionable as of now, it was statutory auditors of Maytas Infra who pointed out the under-statement in its books.
Following is the chronological summary of events which saw IT major Satyam Computer Services, founded in 1987, on its path to disaster:
Maytas Infrastructure, majority-owned by the family of scam-hit IT firm Satyam's disgraced founder B Ramalinga Raju, is believed to have proposed bringing in Reliance Infra as a partner in the prestigious Rs 12,200-crore (Rs 122 billion) metro rail project in Hyderabad.
Maytas Infrastructure Ltd, the listed company floated by the promoters of Satyam Computer Services, plans to raise Rs 800 crore to Rs 1,000 crore through asset sales plus loan and guarantees from banks to complete various projects, including the prestigious Hyderabad Metro, and to bid for some new projects that are coming up for auction.
'P K Madhav, the whole time director and chief executive officer of Maytas Infra Ltd, tendered his resignation from directorship as well as CEO of the company owing to personal reasons,' Maytas said in a filing to BSE. Maytas Infra, promoted by the family of disgraced Satyam founder B Ramalinga Raju, has been hitting headlines ever since the IT firm announced a deal to acquire the company, which was later called off following strong opposition by investors.
While the other two companies in the group--Satyam Computer and Maytas Infrastructure--are back to business-as-usual with new promoters, Maytas Properties (MayProp) is yet to get its house in order. This is despite the passage of more than a year after the founder-promoter, B Ramalinga Raju, confessed to a big accounting fraud.
Satyam Computer Services on Wednesday announced that it is not going ahead with its proposed acquisition of Maytas Properties and Maytas Infra, in light of the feedback received from the Investor community.
This is the second project in the country in which a metro rail project is being undertaken through a PPP model after the 71-kilometre Hyderabad metro project was won by Maytas Infrastructure. According to industry sources, infrastructure major Larsen & Toubro had also initially shown interest for the project, but backed out finally.
The government on Tuesday moved the Company Law Board to remove the current directors of Maytas Infrastructure and Maytas Properties from their respective boards and declare them ineligible for appointment as directors of any other company. The CLB will consider the matter on February 24.
The fact it is promoted by kin of disgraced Satyam founder Ramalinga Raju is continuing to haunt Maytas Infrastructure, although it has a healthy order book of Rs 8,000 crore (Rs 80 billion) and is no longer run on a day to day basis by Teja Raju.
Maytas Infrastructure Limited has reported a net loss of Rs 251.86 crore for the year ended March 31, 2010, compared with a net loss of Rs 473.54 crore last year. Its net revenues declined 33.19 per cent to Rs 1,098.87 crore from Rs 1,644.65 crore in the previous year.
Sajjan Jindal-led JSW Group is not planning to cancel the Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) order given to Maytas Infrastructure, run by promoters of fraud-hit Satyam Computers, as it is "happy" with the progress made by the firm on construction of two township projects.
While the lender has Rs 17,000 crore of retail assets and land parcels in Juhu, Borivali, Worli, and Chembur in Mumbai, there may be a disconnect between the quality of DHFL's books and the value bidders ascribe to it.
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