Replying to a question tabled in the House by Congress member Bhagwan Barad, Finance Minister Vajubhai Vala said that of the total pending dues of Rs 3,093.20 crore, Rs 984.12 crore had been recovered till December 31, while the process of recovering the remaining amount was on.

In response to a supplementary query raised by Leader of the Opposition Shaktisinh Gohil, Vala said Essar Steel owed the highest amount of Rs 1,192 crore to the government, followed by IOC (Rs 247 crore). Both companies have obtained stay orders from the court against recovery of the dues, and the government has appealed against the stay orders, he said. The minister further informed the House that of the total 46 industrial units, as many as 24 have obtained court stay against recovery of the dues.

Responding to another question by senior Congress MLA Babubhai Shah, he said there were about 90 industrial units, including three State public sector units, each of them owing over Rs 10 crore to the government for the last three years. While dues of Rs 177.64 crore are yet to be recovered from Gujarat State Small Industries Corporation (GSSIC), two other state-owned agencies – Gujarat Alkalies and Gujarat State Finance Corporation – owe Rs 47.32 crore and Rs 39.15 crore of dues respectively.