Tatra scam: 'Govt imposed deal on the Army'

Source: Pradip R Sagar & Saikat Datta  
New Delhi: Union Defence Minister AK Antony is either unaware of the defence audit wing’s warnings against the outdated and overpriced Tatra trucks or he is feigning ignorance.
In fact, the audit wing, which comes under the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG), found in 2006 that orders for Tatra trucks were placed after considerable manipulation “to keep the production line of BEML alive”.
If Antony was to go through the files, he would have noticed the several audit findings that point out Tatra trucks were imposed on the Army many a time.
Of course, it would be unfair to pin the entire blame on Antony. Several army officers, too, ensured that the racket kept rolling ever since the first truck was purchased in 1986. Some of them or maybe all those involved will have to answer the CBI in the coming days.
Of the various audit findings, DNA found one buried in the files of the Master General of Ordnance (MGO) and the War Establishment (WE) — the two directorates in the army headquarters responsible for all procurements.
In 2006, the defence audit wing audited the performance of the army’s vehicle management. S Kalyanraman, a senior audit officer in the wing, chanced upon a transaction with several anomalies in connection with the purchase of Tatra trucks. In a query note, accessed by DNA, to the army headquarters, he pointed out these discrepancies.
The infantry — the largest and most potent combat arm of the Indian Army — Kalyanraman noted in his query, needed high-mobility vehicles to rush troops to the front during war.
Based on its experience in the Kargil war in 1999 and during Operation Parakram in 2002, the army issued a fresh set of parameters for buying trucks (six-wheel drive trucks under GSQR 486). And three firms, BEML with its Tatra trucks, Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland, were shortlisted.
Strangely, BEML made it to the list with the Tatra T-815, a four-wheel drive truck. Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland were running six-wheel drive trucks on trial when the list was prepared.
"Subsequently the LPTA 1621 truck of Tata Motors qualified for induction in the army because the firm had carried out the suggested modifications successfully and it was approved by VRDE", Kalyanraman said in his note.
But inexplicable changes followed and an order for 490 trucks were placed with BEML in March 2006 at an estimated cost of Rs254.54. Kalyanraman's audit investigation revealed that the order went to BEML after "secretary (defence production) strongly recommended" the public sector unit to the then defence secretary and the then vice-chief of the army.
Shekhar Dutt was the defence secretary then. He is now the governor of Chhatisgarh. Considered close to the senior Congress leadership, Dutt received several assignments after retirement.
The defence ministry justified the switch by changing the parameters. It used a GSQR meant for some other truck to push the deal in favour of BEML. All this was done "to keep the production line of BEML alive".
Last year, too, the CAG reported negatively against BEML and Tatra. The CBI, a source said, will use these reports as evidence in its investigation into the Tatra scam.
The audit report (No. 24 of 2011-12) on defence services noted: "The increase of Rs352 crore under heavy and medium vehicles was mainly due to… additional requirement of funds for the new scheme (HMV Tatra Quantity 788)".
At least Rs314.85 crore was paid as advance for contracts that were hastily pushed through in March 2010 "for Tatra vehicles". But "no benefit could be achieved" and there was a case of "over-booking".
Once General VK Singh took over as the army chief, he refused to authorise a purchase of Tatra trucks, following a "bribe offer of Rs 14 crore". The general has accused Lt Gen (retd) Tejinder Singh of making the bribe offer. The CBI is investigating the matter.
But the fact is Kalyanraman's audit findings were buried under files and a scam was allowed to flourish for several years.
http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/NAT-TOP-tatra-scam-govt-did-impose-deal-on-the-army-3208856.html?RHS-top_news=
Tatra row grounds PC chopper plan  by NISHIT DHOLABHAI 
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120505/jsp/nation/story_15454108.jsp

Air India lies and gives lame excuses in US

Fined by US for sloppy website, AI defence: our employee died
Smita Aggarwal : New Delhi, Sat May 05 2012, 02:16 hrs
Air India has become the first airline to be penalised under new US rules enhancing protection for air travel consumers. By its own admission, that’s because it couldn’t update its website as the employee managing the site had died.
The US Transportation Department’s order dated May 3, imposing a $80,000 penalty on Air India, says the airline had failed to post contingency plans for lengthy tarmac delays and customer service plans, including fees for optional services, on its website on the date under consideration (August 23, 2011).
AI argued that it had uploaded its tarmac delay and customer service plans, but “these apparently did not properly appear due to a technical problem”.
The delay in “fixing” this was due to the “unfortunate and unexpected death of the employee responsible for making the changes”, AI argued during the mitigation proceedings.
The defence cut no ice with the US Transporation Department, which has directed the carrier to pay half of its $80,000 fine within a month.
Foreign carriers operating to the US with at least one aircraft of 30 or more seats are required to adopt contingency plans for lengthy tarmac delays as well as customer service plans, and to post these on their websites.
Ironically, AI has one of the world’s highest aircraft to manpower ratios of 1:230, against the norm of 1:115. It has also been grappling with problems of “rationalising” its staff that numbers over 38,000.
AI said it would seek “corrective” action by paying half the penalty and seeking a waiver on the rest. AI has 10 days to file a review petition.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/fined-by-us-for-sloppy-website-ai-defence-our-employee-died/945661/
Comment: Air India ought to have been fined in our own country. Shame other nations have to do our job. Cheaters can never be winners!

Can the Indian Army win a battle with toothless leaders heading it?

Paper General Singh spoke with claims PM and next Chief are kin
Express news service : New Delhi, Sat May 05 2012, 02:29 hrs
The Prime Minister’s Office today denied a report in Hindi weekly Chauthi Duniya that there is a relationship between the Prime Minister or his family members and the next Army chief Lt General Bikram Singh or his wife.
The denial came in response to a news report in the weekly, “Senadhyaksha Umra Vivad: Pradhanmantri Unki Patni Unki Saali” (General’s Age Row: PM, his Wife and Sister-in-Law), alleging that Army Chief General V K Singh got a raw deal in his date-of-birth controversy because the wife of next Army Chief Lt General Bikram Singh is the sister-in-law of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
“The allegation that General Bikram Singh or his wife is related to the Prime Minister or any member of his family is completely untrue. This is a scurrilous, irresponsible and mischievous statement,” said a communique issued by the PMO today.
Incidentally, it was in an interview to Chauthi Duniya editor Santosh Bhartiya that General V K Singh had alleged that he was offered a bribe by an officer (Lt Gen Tejinder Singh) via an “indirect method.”
Bhartiya, when asked about the PMO’s denial, said: “I have not seen the denial. We will speak through the paper, Chauthi Duniya.”
The Chauthi Duniya report alleged: “Manmohan Singh ki patni Gursharan Kaur aur Bikram Singh ki patni Surjeet Kaur mauseri behnein hain. Is natey Bikram Singh ki patni Surjeet Kaur Pradhanmantri Manmohan Singh ki saali huin. General VK Singh se juda yeh saara prapanch Pradhanmantri ki saali ko khush karne ke liye hua.” (Manmohan Singh’s wife and Bikram Singh’s wife are cousins. This makes Bikram Singh’s wife the PM’s sister-in-law. The plot against General V K Singh was hatched to favour the PM’s sister-in-law.”
This is the second consecutive denial by the government to the Chauthi Duniya in as many days. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) yesterday denied its report where it had alleged that the MHA was tapping the phones of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, A K Antony, and Pranab Mukherjee among others with the help of top officials of IB and Defence Intelligence.
“The allegations that telephones were bugged at the instance of the Home Minister or the Ministry of Home Affairs is an outrageous lie,” the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a press communique on Thursday. “The Government reserves its right to take appropriate action against the offending newspaper,” the MHA communique added.
With less than a month to go before General Singh retires, Chauthi Duniya alleged that Home Minister P Chidambaram and HRD Minister Kapil Sibal — on behalf of the PM — approached Chief Justice of India Justice S H Kapadia ahead of the court’s verdict on General V K Singh’s age-row case to caution that a verdict against the government would create a Constitutional crisis.
“P Chidambaram and Sibal as an envoy to the PM met (CJI) Kapadia and said if the government’s stand goes wrong and General wins, then a Constitutional crisis will be created...On the day of verdict, February 10, people were expecting the victory of General but things turned upside down. The apex court rather providing with the judgment acted as an advisor,” the report said.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/paper-general-singh-spoke-with-claims-pm-and-next-chief-are-kin/945665/0
Comment: Truth will prevail ultimately. Ulterior motives to defraud the Military by Politicians will  corrode the patriotic forces faith in the MOD. The coveted chief reduced to the will of dynastic rule.