Amarendu Prakash’s selection for the post of Chairman SAIL on April 12, 2023, had something to do with the CSR spending during 2022-23 and 2023-24 on an NGO belonging to Nadda’s wife?

During 2022-23 and 2023-24, Amarendu was Director In-charge of Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL) and Chairman SAIL respectively.

As per SAIL’s annual reports an expenditure of ₹162.46 crore and ₹161.93 crore was made on the CSR activities during 2022-23 and 2023-24 respectively, against ₹ 94.24 crore only during 2021-22.

In response to RTI, SAIL gives a reply contrary to what mentioned in their annual reports. Whether SAIL is an incorrigible liar?

Spare a thought for the democratic setup where every system is deep-rooted corrupted! In this system, bureaucrats/officers accrue benefits to politicians and vice versa by going to the stake for obliging one other. It’s open loot of public purse.

In a new case of corruption in the series of SAIL scam, it was exposed that the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) had funded to an NGO of BJP senior leader’s wife and when asked about the paid amount in RTI queries was denied having paid to such an NGO.

The SAIL has clearly mentioned in its financial annual report published on March 31, 2023 that its Bokaro Steel Plant unit had organized Special Olympics Bharat (SoB)—an NGO run by Dr Mallika Nadda, wife of BJP leader J P Nadda.

As per reports, Special Olympics Bharat was held under National Sports Preparatory Training Camps and also selected/trained Divyang athletes for participation in the Special Olympics Summer World Games-2023.

As a part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the company is required to hold activities in the sectors of education, health, skill developments, women empowerment etc.

The reports clearly said that the Bokaro Steel Plant supported participation expenditure to the selected/trained Divyang athletes for world games.

When the information regarding amount paid to and spent for Special Olympics Bharat (SOB) by SAIL during 2022-23 and 2023-24 and amount paid to and spent for Special Olympics Bharat (SOB) by SAIL during 2024-25 was sought through an RTI. SAIL replied contrary to its own annual reports.

Details of the report and reply to against RTI filed when Amarendu was CMD

On Page 7 of its annual report for 2022-23 SAIL writes “Focusing on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) objectives as stipulated in the Companies Act, 2013, as well as DPE Guidelines, your Company prioritized areas of national importance such as Education, Health, Skills Development, and Women Empowerment. During FY’23, SAIL supported the entire Indian contingent of Special Olympics Bharat’s athletes at the Special Olympics World Summer Games, Berlin, 2023.”

Further on Page 52 of the same report for SAIL writes “Bokaro Steel Plant organised Special Olympics Bharat (SOB) under National Sports Preparatory Training Camps and also selected/trained Divyang athletes for participation in the Special Olympics Summer World Games 2023 (SOSWG 2023)”.

In the annual report for 2023-24, on Page 53 SAIL writes “Bokaro Steel Plant organised Special Olympics Bharat (SOB) under National Sports Preparatory Training Camps and also supported participation expenditure of the selected/trained Divyang athletes for Special Olympics Summer World Games 2023 (SOSWG 2023)”

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Again, on Page 217 of the same report the following has been stated

However, in reply to an RTI asking details of the amount paid to and spent for Special Olympics Bharat (SOB) by SAIL during 2022-23 and 2023-24, the CPIO Rajesh Sharma of Corporate Office of SAIL replied “no funds were allocated to Special Olympics Bharat (SOB) from SAIL Corporate”.

The CPIO of Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL) Anju Singh added “The query is not related to BSL”.

The matter went into appeal, where the first appellate authority Manas Ranjan Rath of Corporate office of SAIL replied “Nothing further available to add”.

About Special Olympics Bharat (SOB)

Special Olympics Bharat is a National Sports Federation that empowers individuals with intellectual disabilities across India. Their mission is to build an inclusive environment where every individual, regardless of ability, is respected, valued and given the chance to shine on and off the sports field.

Dr. Mallika Nadda, wife of the Union Minister Jagat Praksh Nadda, has been serving as the Chairperson of Special Olympics Bharat since 2021.

Whether SAIL is an incorrigible liar?

Now the question arises whether the information given in the Annual Reports of SAIL is wrong or SAIL deliberately lied in the RTI reply. Most likely it would be the latter one. This gives rise to another intriguing and perplexing question, why?

To give shape to the FAKE PROJECT & SWR14 Grade Blooms SCAMS, the officials of SAIL no only lied to the world but to themselves also. In most of the cases of they were fully aware that the firms to whom they are supplying steel on heavy discounts in the name of Projects, are actually Traders.

On Nov 17, 2022 Whistle Blower Rajeev Bhatia exposed the above two scams before the then Chairman Soma Mondal and Director (Commercial) V S Chakravarty. The email contained detailed analysis and data presented in about 70 pages. The complaints were buried and the Whistle Blower was suspended on Nov 24, 2022 for sending the complaints through a GMAIL id. Thereafter a web of lies was woven around Bhatia, first to keep him under suspension for 10 months and then give premature retirement to take revenge on him for exposing the corruption of over Rs 800 Crores.

When the Ministry of Steel advices the Chairman SAIL Amarendu Prakash to initiate departmental action against the then Executive Director (Sales & ITD) M C Agarwal, on July 31, 2023, he submits a 90-page justification not to take action. These 90 pages are full of plethora of lies with the most blatant one where in respect to the sales to FAKE Projects he writes “Investigation has suggested some system improvement points which are appreciated and a team of officers has been formed to explore the possibility of improvements”

Despite giving in writing to the Ministry of Steel, Amarendu took no action to stop the sales to the FAKE Projects, rather the numbers spiraled exponentially. The immediate two months i.e. Aug 2023 and Sep 2023, saw SAIL officials selling over 1,25,000 T of TMT Bars to FAKE Projects, surpassing the monthly average by miles. To ride the tide of unprecedented buoyancy in the steel market, on one hand huge volumes were given to the existing FAKE Project firms and on the other hand many new Project firms were introduced/inducted in the SAIL system. It is estimated that he sold over 6 lakh tonnes of steel products primarily TMT Bars after assuring the Ministry to stop the same.

(The above article has been written based on Bureaugram’s extensive research and inputs from various sources including sources from SAIL)