SAIL PROJECT SCAM : CMD SAIL mocks LOKPAL; Ministry quite; Independent Directors mute; Govt Nominee Directors voiceless
Brazen Arrogance of Amerandu Prakash once again shows, he cares nobody.
Although Vigil Mechanism Policy of SAIL provides for protection to the Whistle Blower but he was immediately suspended by SAIL after receipt of complaints from him so that sales to Traders in the name of Projects can continue uninterrupted.
Whistle Blower’s complaint dated May 01, 2023 under Vigil Mechanism is pending till date : No regard for Law of Land.
Sales to Traders in the name of Projects must have stopped in Nov 2022 after Whistle Blower’s complaint but continued even after LOKPAL order dated January 10, 2024.
Whether it is case of mere Brazen Arrogance or vested interest also?
In the complaints regarding sales of steel products to M/s Venkatesh Infra Projects P Ltd and M/s Avon Steel Industries P Ltd, while handing over the complaints to CBI, LOKPAL vide order dated January 10, 2024 not only made scathing remarks on the functioning of SAIL but also directed SAIL to formulate a clear and unambiguous policy with regard to MOU, pricing, and relaxation.
Source : Order dated January 10, 2024 of Honourable LOKPAL of India
https://lokpalonline.gov.in/lokpalonline/cdn/web_upload/CN73,74and752023_1705052862.pdf
Immediately after the above order, 29 officials were suspended by Ministry of Steel on January 19, 2024.
CMD SAIL Amerandu Prakash, who is known for his brazen arrogance; highhandedness and arbitrary manner of exercising authority, dumps order of LOKPAL and keeps supplying steel to Traders in the name of Projects.
In our recent articles, we have placed before you two cases namely of RUDRANATH INFRA AND CONSTRUCTIONS P LTD and FIESTO INFRA PROJECTS P LTD, where Jaipur branch of CMO-SAIL continue to supply TMT Bars to these two firms even after the LOKPAL order. Link of the above two articles is given below for quick reference.
At the field level, Viney Kumar, BM/Jaipur; Hari Shankar Durgapal, RBM(LP)/WR and T N Natrajan, RM/WR were the trio who were involved in the approval process for sales to the above two firms.
Internal sources of SAIL now confirm to ‘Bureaugram.com’ that supplies of Traders camouflaged as Projects even after LOKPAL directions to formulate a clear and unambiguous policy are not limited to the above two firms. Over 75,000 Tonne of steel, primarily TMT Bars, have been sold to numerous Traders camouflaged as Projects, between Feb 2024 and Oct 2024. Few probable cases are listed below.
Above matter is not the maiden instance where Prakash has shown his brazenness. He took over as CMD SAIL in May 2023. Under his leadership, first test of corporate governance, ethics, morality, truth, and honesty for SAIL came in July 2023 when Ministry of Steel shared with him the findings of the investigation report of CVO-SAIL in the matter of steel supplies to M/s Venkatesh Infra Projects P Ltd and M/s Avon Steel Industries P Ltd with him.
In return, on July 31, 2023, Prakash wrote to Ministry of Steel refusing to initiate Regular Departmental Action against outgoing Executive Director M C Agarwal. To give some seriousness to his letter he added that a team of officers has been formed to explore the possibilities of improvements.
‘Bureaugram.com’ has already reported that sales to Traders camouflaged in the clothing of Projects were not only kept running after the Whistle Blower’s complaint dated November 17, 2022 regarding sales to Venkatesh Infra Projects but also after the Prakash’s commitment to the Ministry for system improvement. Out of 6,50,000 Tonne supplied to over 40 firms which are under fresh investigations of LOKPAL/CBI, over 3,00,000 Tonne of steel have been supplied by SAIL after the receipt of complaint on Venkatesh Infra Projects P Ltd from the Whistle Blower. Estimated quantity supplied after Prakash’s commitment to the Ministry is 2,50,000 Tonne.
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/sail-project-scam-a-syndicate-of-connivances
Above not only proves the point that Whistle Blower Bhatia was suspended to remove him from the office scene so that sales to Traders in the name of Projects can be kept running without any interference but it also proves that Prakash mere fooled the Ministry of Steel.
It is a million-dollar question how a correspondence between CMD SAIL and Ministry of Steel landed in the hands of Soma Mondal and Mahesh Chand Agarwal, the prime accused in the complaints lodged by Bhatia, particularly when both of them had already retired. For the time being let it be as it is. The copy of the above letter was in turn placed by them before LOKPAL as defence but LOKPAL did not attach any importance to the same and probably rightly so. It would not be out of place to assume here that not only Ministry of Steel, Prakash through his letter dated July 31, 2023 tried to misguide Honourable LOKPAL of India also.
(The above article has been written based on inputs from various sources including sources from SAIL)
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