NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday filed a corruption, cheating and criminal conspiracy case against former Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) - T K Lahiry, other senior officials of the Public Sector Undertaking and construction/engineering giant Larsen and Toubro (L&T) Limited for alleged irregularities in Rs 383.92 crore contract for supply of 100 tipper trucks used in the mining. CBI in its FIR stated that the contract, given to L&T in 2012-13, at an exorbitant rate alongwith exorbitant cost of maintenance caused a pecuniary loss of Rs 97.04 crore to the government exchequer.The agency has named former CMD Lahiry, Ashok Sarkar and Dinesh Chandra jha (ex-Directors technical project in BCCL), A N Sahay, SK Panigrahi, Barain Sinha, G Upreti, AK Gangopadhyay (all former GMs in the PSU ), posted at Dhanbad at that time, apart from L&T in its FIR.CBI FIR states that "they conspired with L&T and unknown others with a view to cheat and defraud BCCL, and in pursuance of the conspiracy, the public servants dishonestly and fraudulently processed, recommended and approved the manipulated indents by way of initiating/processing/recommending/approving the consolidated purchase proposal without any support documents and expert opinion of Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Ltd (CMPDIL) justifying proposal for procurement of 100 Tippers with maintenance and annual repair contract for six years at an estimated cost of Rs 383.92 crore against replacement of surveyed off 100 dumpers".This was done "without giving justification for material change of dumpers for mining operations in contraventions of the laid down norms/purchase manual/circulars/guidelines etc of Coal India Limited and accused public servants being members of tender committee recommended award of contract in favour of M/s Larsen and Toubro Ltd , which was approved and thereafter issued a purchase order on July 10, 2013", it said.CBI said that Open Cast Mines in BCCL are small patches having restrictions in length and width and dumpers only are suitable to ply in the mines of BCCL due to different mines conditions like deeper seams, constraints in haul road width etc.Dumpers are specially meant for off highway applications, whereas Tippers are primarily meant for on highway operations. Dumpers were being used by BCCL and other subsidiaries of CIL for different coal mines and this was found to be a time tested/proved equipment over a period of time, says CBI.The accused persons had issued a tender for dumpers but equipment specification was for dumpers as well as tippers.BCCL received three bids from -Tata Motors, M/s V E Commercial Vehicles Ltd and M/s L&T Ltd during the tender process.The contract was finally awarded to L&T for supply and maintenance of 35 Ton Type Tippers (model Scania P380 carrying capacity of 18.8 cubic metre).CBI says that the Tippers supplied by L&T remained unutilized in BCCL as they were having utilisation percentage as low as 2.05% to 37.71% against the CMPDIL prescribed minimum benchmark of 50% utilisation of Tippers due to which there was a loss of Rs 97 crores to BCCL.

Source: Times of India September 08, 2017 14:15 UTC