Hyderabad: CBI books ex professor, firm for fraud
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad unit of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked a case against half a dozen persons including the National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD) former Associate professor Dr. G Rajanikanth and Balaji Scans Private Limited (BSPL) for allegedly committing irregularities to the tune of Rs.1.56 crore for printing institute material. The NIRD […]
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad unit of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked a case against half a dozen persons including the National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD) former Associate professor Dr. G Rajanikanth and Balaji Scans Private Limited (BSPL) for allegedly committing irregularities to the tune of Rs.1.56 crore for printing institute material.
The NIRD entered into rate contract agreements with BSPL represented by Aluri Siva Rama Krishna Prasad and Vaishnavi Laser Graphics (VLG) represented by Varam Sudhakar Reddy in 2012 and again in 2016. The institute was designing the course material for nationwide orientation program of Barefoot Technicians (BFT) in collaboration with International Labour Organization (ILO).
It was alleged that even though the rate contracts were in force, separate quotations were obtained from BSPL for Rs.48.66 lakh at a cost of Rs.3,800 for printing four pages of muiti-coloured set and Rs.35 for binding works as against the agreed upon rates, as per existing rate contract agreement of Rs.2,800 and Rs.7 respectively.
Books were printed and payments to the tune of Rs.51.09 lakh including taxes were paid to BSPL. The BFT training material was reprinted on four occasions from 2016 to 2019 through BSPL and VLG at a total cost of Rs.4.74 crore.
It was alleged that an amount of Rs.1.21 crore was paid in excess to both these firms towards paper cost, printing cost, binding charges and taxes. Unknown officials of NIRD have resorted to several irregularities and awarded high value printing works, on quotation basis in violation of General Financial Rules (GFRs) and made payments without obtaining proper approvals and wrongly certified that the rates were within the approved rate contracts, according to CBI FIR.
Preliminary enquiry revealed that there was a prima facie evidence corroborating the commission of cognizable offence on the part of Rajanikanth, Dr Papamma, the then Editor and Sridhar Goud, the then Accounts officer (Training) along with possibility of the active involvement of other officials concerned.
The inquiry revealed that an excess payment of Rs.1.26 crore was made to BSPL on various occasions from 2015 to 2016 and an excess payment of Rs.30.80 lakh to VGL. As such, total excess payment of Rs.1.56 crore was made, the CBI said in the FIR.
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