SAIL PROJECT SCAM: A saga of audacious loot, compromised watchmen, and no fear of law
Despite “Black & White” proofs no action by SAIL Vigilance & Ministry – Only one word comes to mind - “Compromised”. Let us see what LOKPAL & CBI does? Will the two corruption watchdogs live up to the expectations of the citizens of India?
Umpteen Letters, Emails, Whatsapps & SMSs to Secretary Steel from the Whistle Blower, none answered
Over 9,000 Tonne of TMT Bars sold to a FAKE Project, who in turn sold them on L&T-SuFin - a B2B marketplace
Over 6,000 Tonne sold after LOKPAL’s Order dated Jan 10, 2024
L&T-SuFin, a brand of Larsen & Toubro Limited, is an integrated
B2B marketplace for buying and selling industrial and construction products and
services. It is India’s leading B2B marketplaces in India. While searching for
TMT Bars on the marketplace, today we came across a firm named Krish Engicon of Panta selling SAIL TMT Bars on L&T-SuFin.
On inquiring from the Patna market, we gathered that Krish Engicon is neither a
distributor nor a dealer of SAIL for TMT Bars.
In view of the SAIL Project Scam, we turned to our sources in SAIL and gathered that SAIL has supplied TMT Bars to Krish Engicon as a Project, on negotiated prices by giving heavy discounts. Given the modus-operandi, It is yet another case of a FAKE Project.
Sources reveal that starting July 2022, over 9,000 Tonne of TMT Bars have been sold to Krish Engicon as FAKE Project giving a blow of over Rs 2.5 CR to SAIL exchequer. The extra discount given to the FAKE Project firm over and above the SAIL’s Patna Distributor works out to about Rs 2,750 per tonne.
Arrogance coupled with Audacity : LOKPAL order dumped by compromised SAIL officials : No fear of law
Ahuja is among those officers whom SAIL management handed over the entire copy of the complaint on supply of steel to Venkatesh Infra Projects P Ltd which was lodged by the Whistle Blower Rajeev Bhatia. Despite being fully aware of the PROJECT SCAM with respect to Venkatesh Infra Projects P Ltd, he kept supplying TMT Bars to Krish Engicon. Over 6,000 Tonne sold after the Order dated January 10, 2024 of Honourable LOKPAL of India.
Source : Order dated January 10, 2024 of Honourable LOKPAL of India
https://lokpalonline.gov.in/lokpalonline/cdn/web_upload/CN73,74and752023_1705052862.pdf
This again and again brings us to the moot question that when both Krish Engicon and SAIL’s Patna Distributor had to sell the TMT Bars in the same market and the distributor was doing it successfully also, then why additional discount of Rs 2,750 per tonne was passed to the FAKE Project : Krish Engicon. Was the amount distributed between the firm and SAIL officials?
It may be noted that power to approve discounted prices is available with the Regional Manager. If sources are to be believed, then Munish Ahuja during his tenure as Regional Manager of Eastern Region sold over 1,50,000 Tonne of TMT Bars to various FAKE Projects. Some of the FAKE Projects were brought to Kolkata/Durgapur from places as far as Noida, Gurugram and Raipur. For this extraordinary feat of selling TMT Bars to FAKE Projects, Ahuja was retained as RM-ER for over five years, which was in contravention of CVC guidelines.
SAIL officer who initiated the selling made Head of Sales
Suspended after LOKPAL’s order dated Jan 10, 2024 for his role in the process of supplying steel to Venkatesh Infra Projects P Ltd. After bringing him back from suspension, first made RM/SR and then RM/NR. Despite management wishes, he could not be promoted to ED for reasons beyond control of SAIL, but brought to Kolkata and given the powers of ED (Sales & ITD).
Santosh Kumar Sharma, the Proprietor of Krish Engicon, is also associated with another firm named Maa Shakti Engg Works. The firm is registered with GST (GSTIN – 10AMLPS8747H1ZO) with nature of core business activity as “TRADER-WHOLESALER/DISTRIBUTOR”
During Dec 2017 to Apr 2019, over 2,500 Tonne of TMT was sold by the Patna branch of SAIL to this firm also as a FAKE Project. It has been gathered that during this period, Prabhat Kumar was the Branch Manager of Patna Branch of SAIL-CMO.
In addition to Krish Engicon and Maa Shakti Engg Works, the promoters have another firm named Mohit Iron and Steel P Ltd registered at the address of Krish Engicon i.e. 262A, Near Sandalpur More, Sandalpur Road, Patna, Bihar.
Honesty, ethics, and morality comes from character and as far as character is concerned, we have already seen it in the role of Munish Ahuja as the Inquiry officer in the matter of false disciplinary proceedings initiated against the Whistle Blower Rajeev Bhatia to take revenge from him. Refer at our earlier stories available at links given below:
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/sail-project-scam-and-whistle-blowers-inquiry-officer
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/sail-ed-sanjay-agrawal-an-undisciplined-disciplinary-authority
[The above article has been written based on extensive research and inputs from various sources including sources from SAIL]
