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Power Ministry denies official's charges

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI NOV. 28. Close on the heels of the controversy surrounding the alleged coercion by some Central Ministers to seek favours from the public sector undertakings (PSUs), the Ministry of Power is facing allegations from a Director of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) that he was denied an extension because he ``could not manage the Minister.'' The Ministry today denied the allegation as ``absolutely false.''

The Director (Personnel) of NHPC, Vinay Kumar, told a TV news channel on Thursday that he was being ``harassed and that money was sought.''

Reacting to the charge, the Union Power Secretary, R.V. Shahi, told presspersons today that based on Mr. Kumar's unsatisfactory performance over the past five years, the Public Enterprises Selection Board had denied him an extension.

Mr. Kumar was initially appointed Director in another PSU under the Power Ministry, the Powergrid Corporation of India Limited, but was suspended within two years for allegedly ``passing blatantly false orders.'' He was then ``helped,'' Mr. Shahi said, and accommodated as Director in the NHPC. After his term expired on July 5 this year, the PESB gave him three opportunities for interviews but ultimately declined to grant him an extension.

Mr. Shahi claimed that the Ministry had not interfered with the decision-making process in the PSUs under it and ``they have the full freedom on powers delegated to them.''

Asked why Mr. Kumar had been ``helped'' when he had been suspended from the Powergrid Corporation and why he was appointed to the NHPC Board, he said ``a person is given a chance if it is his first fault...''

Mr. Shahi said that Mr. Kumar had gone to court but his petition was dismissed. ``The PESB has also heard his complaints but decided otherwise. Now he has, out of the blue, made this serious allegation.''

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