The Hindu : GESCOM for suspension of two officials

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 25, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

GESCOM for suspension of two officials

By T.V. Sivanandan

GULBARGA, FEB. 24. Two senior officials of the Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company (GESCOM) have been held responsible for large-scale irregularities (reported by The Hindu recently) in the purchase of high-precision single-phase energy meters, conductors, spare parts, LT connectors, insulators, and procurement of electric poles after a high-level inquiry conducted by the GESCOM authorities.

Highly placed sources in GESCOM told The Hindu here today that the Managing Director of the company, Gangaram Baderia, who conducted the preliminary investigation, has recommended to the Government to suspend the Director (Technical), K.C. Naikwadi, and the Superintending Engineer (Materials Management), K.N. Nagabhushan, in the corporate office. In a confidential report submitted to the Government, the GESCOM authorities have pointed out that the Director (Technical) had exercised certain powers not delegated to or vested in him while ordering the purchases, bypassing the Purchasing Committee, and keeping the Managing Director of the company in the dark.

Even in the procurement of two lakh high-precision single-phase energy meters by GESCOM, which has kicked up a row with allegations of favouritism to certain companies by the Managing Director himself, the report states that the Managing Director had only gone by the rule book and the two officials allegedly acted to favour the Noida-based Capital Meters, whose tender was disqualified during the course of technical evaluation.

Sources said that the report has pointed out that the tender application of Capital Meters was disqualified because the company did not produce the performance certificate and the turnover of the company was less than the prescribed limit. The tender applications of other companies were accepted and the sample meters submitted by them were sent for testing to the Central Power Research Institute (CPRI), Bangalore, in October 2003.

However, Capital Meters informed GESCOM in December 2003 that it had misplaced the performance certificate issued by the West Bengal Electricity Board and the same was submitted along with a letter on December 19, 2003.

The Superintending Engineer (Materials Management) sent a note to the Director (Technical) on December 23, 2003 seeking permission to send the sample meters for testing to CPRI.

The Director (Technical) approved the proposal, but this development was not brought to the notice of the Managing Director.

The inquiry report has clarified that GESCOM took a decision to cancel the order to fix meters on a turnkey basis to Capital Power Systems, a sister concern of Capital Meters, as the company had failed to discharge its contractual obligation to fix the meters within the stipulated period.

The Managing Director, in consultation with the Chairman, KPTCL, and other officials, cancelled the contract and awarded it to another agency whose performance was satisfactory.

The report has said that both the officials had failed to provide replies to queries on the irregularities committed in the purchase of large quantities of conductors, LT connectors, spare parts, guy strain insulators, and insulator shells.

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