This is to what Ministry of Steel has reduced SAIL to - a man deeply involved in sales to Fake Projects at heavy discounts, that too knowingly, will soon decide who is promotable and who is not.

Promotions from GM (General Manager- E7 Grade) to CGM (Chief General Manager-E8 Grade) are going to be announced soon with the signatures of Director (Commercial) of SAIL T N Natarajan.

During the last week of Dec 2021, V S Charavarthy took over as Director (Commercial) of SAIL and in the first week of January 2022, T N Natarajan was posted by him as the Regional Business Manager for Flat Products in the Western Region of SAIL-CMO. 

In September 2022, supplies of PM Plates began in the name of Project to a firm named SHI INFRA P LTD from the Baroda branch of Western Region. It may be noted that PM Plates are part of Flat Products Group whose business was being headed by Natarajan in the Western Region.

After supplying about 800 Tonne of PM Plates, around April 2023 supplies of TMT Bars were also started under Projects in a small way. In Aug 2023, Charavarthy elevated Natarajan to the post of Regional Manager of Western Region after which TMT supplies to the firm exponentially spiralled.

A Project MOU was signed with the firm for supply of 1,200 T of various steel products from the Baroda branch of SAIL-CMO from Apr 2023 to Mar 2024. However, with Natarajan at the helm of affairs, about 6,000 T of TMT Bars were given to the firm during the MOU period at heavy discounts that too from Mumbai not from Baroda.

Natarajan ridiculed Lokpal of India and in return got the post of Director (Commercial) of SAIL

On Jan 10, 2024 Lokpal of India pronounced its judgement with respect to the supplies to the Fake Project Venkatesh Infra Projects P Ltd. In the judgement order, while handing over the matter to CBI to unearth the possible connivance and conspiracy between SAIL officials and the private firms who benefited from the illegal nefarious acts of SAIL officials, LOKPAL had passed scathing remarks on the functioning of SAIL and asked SAIL to formulate a clear and unambiguous policy with regard to MOU, pricing and relaxation under guidance from Ministry of Steel. As a fall out of the judgement 29 officers were suspended on Jan 19, 2024.

Lokpal’s judgement could not deter Natarajan’s hubris, temerity, audacity & lust for illegal benefits and supplies to the firm continued even after LOKPAL’s judgement. Till Oct 2024, it has been gathered that over 9,000 T of TMT Bars have been sold to SHI INFRA P LTD in the name of Projects.

Binita Kamalia and Sunil Kamalia are directors on the board of SHI INFRA P LTD. They both are directors on the board of Taurus Commercials P Ltd and Navrang Viniyog Private Limited.

Taurus Commercials P Ltd is a big steel trader attached to the Ahmedabad branch of SAIL. Around April 2024, with the approval of Natarajan, the firm was appointed as the distributor for TMT bars for their Rajkot cluster. In addition, Navrang Viniyog Private Limited has been appointed as a Dealer of SAIL TMT Bars.

From May 2024, TMT bars were given by Natarajan to both SHI INFRA P LTD and TAURUS COMMERCIALS P LTD, with the price of the former firm about Rs 3,000 to 5,000 Per Tonne lower than that of latter.

How GST and other authorities are being fooled

Also Read

https://www.bureaugram.com/news/sail-officers-involved-in-project-scam-likely-to-be-rewarded-again

https://www.bureaugram.com/news/sail-promotions-to-cgms-in-the-offing-will-cmd-promote-tainted-officers

[The above article has been written based on extensive research and inputs from various sources including sources from SAIL. Sales figures are estimated based on inputs from various sources]