Probing graft in Rs 2.2K cr power project, CBI searches 6 locations

PTI

Samaan Lateef

Srinagar, December 2

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday conducted searches at six locations in four cities related to the alleged graft flagged by former J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik in awarding of a Rs 2,200-crore civil work contract for the Kiru Hydro Power Project in Kishtwar in 2019.

Four cities covered

• The search covered premises of Kanwaljeet Singh Duggal of Mainstream IT Solutions Private Limited and DP Singh.
• Three premises of the company and Duggal are in Delhi and one each in Shimla, Noida and Chandigarh.

Flagged by former governor Malik

• Satya Pal Malik, who served as J&K Governor from August 2018 to October 2019, alleged he was offered Rs 300 crore as bribe for clearing two files, including one related to the Kiru Hydro Power Project.
• The CBI had booked Patel Engineering Limited, Navin Chaudhary of Chenab Valley Power Projects (Private) Limited, and others.

The searches covered premises of Kanwaljeet Singh Duggal of Mainstream IT Solutions Private Limited and DP Singh. Three premises of the company and Duggal are in Delhi and one each in Shimla, Noida and Chandigarh, which were being focused upon during the CBI operation.

This marks the fourth round of the search operation in the case. The CBI had previously conducted similar operations on April 21 and July 6 last year and May 17 this year, officials noted.

Satya Pal Malik, who served as the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir from August 23, 2018, to October 30, 2019, alleged that he was offered Rs 300 crore as bribe for clearing two files, including one related to the Kiru Hydro Power Project. The CBI had registered the case based on allegations of malpractices in awarding the contract for the civil works of Kiru Hydro Electric Power Project in 2019, valued at approximately Rs 2,200 crore.

The agency has booked Navin Kumar Chaudhary, the former chairman of Chenab Valley Power Projects (Private) Limited, along with former officials MS Babu, MK Mittal and Arun Kumar Mishra besides Patel Engineering Limited. Chaudhary, a 1994-batch Jammu and Kashmir-cadre (now AGMUT cadre) IAS officer, is among those accused. The FIR alleges discrepancies in the awarding of the tender despite a decision to re-tender through e-tendering with a reverse auction.

“Though a decision was taken in the 47th board meeting of the CVPPPL (Chenab Valley Power Projects (P) Ltd) for re-tender through e-tendering with reverse auction after cancellation of the ongoing tendering process, the same was not implemented (as per the decision taken in the 48th board meeting) and the tender was finally awarded to Patel Engineering Limited,” the FIR mentioned. (With inputs)

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