CEL Undervalued, Finance Firm Buying the PSU has Links to BJP Leaders: Report

The promoters of Nandal Finance and Leasing, which recently won the bid in the sale of Central Electronics Ltd. (CEL), apparently have business links to Bharatiya Janata Party leaders in Uttar Pradesh, The Wire reported. The investigate report also found that CEL is being undervalued.

The sale of the public sector undertaking “to engineer and supply products, critical materials and knowledge services for India’s strategic sectors”, including defence, was halted in January this year after much controversy. After the Narendra Modi government announced in November 2021 the sale of its 100% stake in the PSU to Delhi-based Nandal Finance and Leasing for just Rs 210 crore, it attracted charges of under-valuing CEL, a link between the only two bidders who participated, among others. The sale has also been challenged before the Delhi high court and the Lokpal. Further, the joint…