SAIL Ka Khel – Part 3 : Rewarding Tainted Officials And Punishing Whistleblower Seems To Be New Norm Of The Steel Maharatna!
Two officials under CBI investigation, given promotions, keeping aside all rules and regulations
“I’m The Judge, Jury And Executioner!” but one fails to understand that who gave him all these powers ?
Strange and curious are the ways of the top management of Steel Authority of India Limited and its Chairman Amarendu Prakash. How can officials under CBI probe be rewarded with promotion when on the contrary, it is highly against the rules and regulations? But “SAIL Ka Khel” is a different story and a different league in itself.
SAIL’s General Manager, Rajeev Bhatia, in 2024, raised the Rs. 800 crore scam of SAIL following which the Ministry of Steel, on January 19, 2024, placed 29 officials of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) under suspension including V.S. Chakravarthy – Director Commercial and A.K. Tulsiani – Director Finance of the Steel Maharatna PSU.
The suspension was due to an ongoing Lokpal investigation into alleged discrepancies in commercial dealings. Reasons for suspension was lack of due diligence, tweaking policy in favor of companies and loss of opportunity to maximize profits. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was also directed to probe SAIL’s dealings with Venkatesh Infra Projects and Avon Steel Industries.
The suspension of 29 officials, including three directors, was revoked in June, 2024. The officers included VS Chakravarthy, Director (Commercial), AK Tulsiani, Director (Finance), SK Sharma, Executive Director (F&A), Vinod Gupta, Executive Director (Commercial), Atul Mathur, Executive Director (Sales & ITD), RM Suresh, Executive Director (Marketing Services) and others. It is alleged that due to the clout they wielded, the suspension of these officers was later revoked and the case is still being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI).
Due to their close proximity with SAIL Chairman Amarendu Prakash and the latter’s clout in the corridors of power, both the Directors, VS Chakravarthy, Director and AK Tulsiani, instead of being relegated to non-sensitive postings, were strangely enough given the same powerful positions they held earlier – Director (Commercial) and Director (Finance).
Former SAIL Chairperson Soma Mondal, who was also named in one of the complaints involving Avon Steel, moved the Delhi High Court and got a stay on investigations against her on July 26, 2024. Currently, she is a member of the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) constituted by the Government of India from 1 May 2023 onwards for a period of three years.
SAIL Chairman Rewards Those Under CBI Lens
Of the 29 officials who were placed under suspension and later reinstated, all are being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). But perhaps, there is a new set of rules for the blue-eyed boys of SAIL Chairman Amarendu Prakash. Giving same plum postings to the two Directors was not the end of the story.
a) Abhijeet Kumar was promoted from Chief General Manager to Executive Director
b) Chandresh Kumar was promoted from General Manager to Chief General Manager
And these promotions were given while the CBI probe is still on. It is indeed a tough ask to figure out the rhyme or reason, logic and rationale behind the promotion of these officers and are perhaps better known to SAIL Chairman Amarendu Prakash.
Sealed Cover Procedure
Department of Personnel & Training has issued various instructions on sealed-cover procedure and its implications on the Government servants at the time of promotion. The procedure to be followed in this regard by the authorities concerned is summarized in the following paras for guidance and better understanding: -GOVERNMENT SERVANTS TO WHOM SEALED COVER PROCEDURE IS APPLICABLE
- At the time of consideration of the cases of Government servants for promotion, details of Government servants in the consideration zone for promotion falling under the following categories should be specifically brought to the notice of the Departmental Promotion Committee: –
(i) Government servants under suspension;
(ii) Government servants in respect of whom a charge sheet has been issued and the disciplinary proceedings are pending; and
(iii) Government servants in respect of whom prosecution for a criminal charge is pending.
For the purpose of pendency of prosecution for a criminal charge, the definition of pendency of judicial proceedings in criminal cases given in Rule 9 (6)(b)(i) of CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972 [Now Explanation 1(b)((i) under Rule 8 of CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021] is adopted. The Rule 9 (6)(b)(i) of CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972 [Now Explanation 1(b)(i) under Rule 8 of CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021] provides as under:-
“(b) judicial proceedings shall be deemed to be instituted –
(i) in the case of criminal proceedings, on the date on which the complaint or report of a Police Officer, of which the Magistrate takes cognizance, is made”
[Para 2 of OM No. 22011/4/91-Estt.(A) dated 14.09.1992; and
Para 8 of OM No. 22034/4/2012-Estt.(D) dated 02.11.2012]
2.1 A Government servant, who is recommended for promotion by the Departmental Promotion Committee but in whose case any of the circumstances mentioned in para 2 above arises after the recommendations of the DPC are received but before he is actually promoted, the recommendations of DPC will be considered as if his case had been placed in a sealed cover by the DPC. He shall not be promoted until he is completely exonerated of the charges against him.
[Para 7 of OM No. 22011/4/91-Estt.(A) dated 14.09.1992]
While, the general practice in government institutions is, that if a person is reinstated after suspension, pending enquiry and is entitled to promotion due to seniority, the same is done on paper and held at abeyance till the enquiry is over and if the person gets exonerated in the enquiry, he is handed over the promotion from back date with all financial benefits.
Several emails to SAIL Chairman and to the Corporate Communications Department of the Steel Maharatna from www.indianpsu.com in this regard, failed to elicit any response.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has time and again, slammed the culture of patronage and “termite” of corruption, saying that some people glorify it but he will persevere against them. “Every citizen of this country has been troubled by the termite of corruption,” said PM Modi, adding, corruption erodes public trust and hinders national progress.
But unfortunately, “SAIL ka Khel” seems to be an unending saga!
To be continued….
