CSD Scam: Brigadier in the race to make money gets trapped

CSD scam: Another brigadier held
Express news service : Mumbai, Wed Jul 04 2012, 06:08 hrs
Who heads the Corrupt CSD(I)? Organisation Chart

Click on Chart for enlargemet

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a brigadier for his alleged role in the Canteen Stores Department (CSD) scam, busted by the agency last week. Brig Anuj Kainthla, the joint general manager of CSD, has been arrested for accepting an illegal gratification of Rs 7.5 lakh from a private company, Sankalp Consumer Products. He is the second officer of the same rank and the fifth person to be arrested by the CBI in the case so far.
On Saturday, the agency had arrested another joint general manager of CSD — Bikas Ranjan Daschaudhary who holds a rank equivalent to a brigadier — and Milind Govilkar of Sankalp besides two other company employees. Kainthla has been sent to CBI custody till July 5, 2012.
A CBI officer said the case was registered based on an information that Sankalp Consumers Products allegedly acted as a marketing arm and representative of many companies in an unauthorised manner against the policy laid down by CSD. The department operates from its head office at Mumbai and has depots all over India to provide consumer goods to both serving and retired defence personnel.
The CBI has alleged that Sankalp, through Govilkar and CSD officials, had entered into a criminal conspiracy with each other and manipulated demands of CSD items in favour of Sankalp’s clients. It says the company was favoured by CSD officials at various stages such as introduction of items, price revision, delayed and excess supply, demand creation and budget allocation. It also told the court that these favours were extended in lieu of huge illegal gratifications to CSD officials. Reader's Comment
Curruption in Army , Urgent Ateps Required
Maj Shyam S Sharam (veteran) | 05-Jul-2012
Previous Army Chief Gen V K Singh had taken strong measures to curb corruption in Army, that invited malacious camplaints against him by the vested interests in Army as well as in the MoD. We expect current Army Chief to address corruption in Army with urgencey and bring corrupt officers to book.
Brig Anuj Kainthla takes Rs 7.5 lakhs bribe to pay for his house and ruins his career
Comment: CSD is a giant organisation with the sole aim of spinning money at all costs and any means. The profit factor and sharing the profit should be done away with. This needs to be run on no- profit- no- loss basis. All unit run CSD outfits must be manned by Service or Retired Military personnel. CSD should not be used as a civilian employment agency. The Depots should be outsourced to MNC's like Tata's (Chroma) who are also into retailing countrywide.

Premier Military Training Institutions: Are they afflicted with corruption?

'No order yet on Lt Gen Jatindar's transfer'
Zee News Thursday, July 05, 2012, 13:14
Pune: A National Defence Academy (NDA) spokesman Thursday said it had not received any official communication "so far" regarding immediate transfer of Academy commandant Lt Gen Jatindar Singh, ordered by Defence Minister AK Antony.
"No official communication from Ministry of Defence (MoD) has been received at NDA in this regard so far", Lt Commander G Girish, PRO NDA said here.
Asked as to who is holding the charge at the Khadakwasla based Academy, embroiled in a bribery scam, he said "the status quo continues till we get official orders." A release issued by MoD in Delhi yesterday said, "Defence minister A K Antony has ordered that Lt Gen Jatinder Singh, Commandant NDA, be immediately shifted from the Academy. This is with the view to ensure a free and fair investigation in the alleged bribery racket in the recruitment of Group C posts in NDA, Khadakwasla." The CBI-ACB has arrested Col Kulbir Singh, staff officer to the NDA commandant, Col Anil Kumar Singh presiding officer of NDA's recruitment board and a few others in connection with the alleged scam that was unearthed on June 25.
Jatindar Singh had assumed charge of the premiere defence academy on January 1, 2011.
The NDA sources said training activities of the cadets of the 128th batch of the Academy were being carried out as usual. PTI
No order yet on Lt Gen Jatindar's transfer
Lt Gen under lens for recruitment scam shunted out
Defence Academy recruitment scam: AK Antony orders shifting of commandant Lt. Gen Jatinder Singh
Comment: Corrupt Officers leading the Training Establishments is very dangerous. All the nine pointer ACR Ratings are a suspect. How are the 9 pointer ACR reflected Corrupt Officers are to be weeded out. The only method now is to get hold of the reporting officers who are skewed in their judgement. Promotions based on ACR's will ruin the Military and its reputation will hit ground zero. We need to eliminate senior officers on physical and medical standards. The Medical records should not be fudged for promotions. Lt Gen Jatinder Singh is a classic case of poor Medical and Physical Standards. We need to gun for the corrupt and physically unfit officers and not depend on skewed ACR's for promotion.

Service Tax: Air & Water heavily polluted would be taxed in India

Strong Military, Strong Security, Strong Nation
Hon’ble Defence Minister Sh. A. K Antony
1. 64 years ago Winston Churchill while opposing grant of freedom to our country said:- “Power will go to the hands of rascals, rogues, freebooters; all Indian leaders will be of low caliber & men of straw. They will have sweet tongues & silly hearts. They will fight amongst themselves for power & India will be lost in political squabbles. A day would come when even air & water would be taxed in India.” 2. We don’t need another Churchill or an eminent astrologer to predict that if the present misgovernance rather no governance at all continues for another couple of years, our country will fall into such an abyss that it will take generations to retrieve us from this.
3. Today we are at a cross road where most of our Institutions of Democracy have either been demolished or under grave stress of demolition. One Institution ie our Patriotic Defence Forces on which the Nation has been surviving for the past 63 years is under severe attack by forces inimical to it. The best way to destroy a country is to demoralize its Defence Forces.
4. The events of the recent past reveal sinister design to undermine the morale and operational preparedness of the Defence Forces.
Why such a poor state of Defence Preparedness?

Who are responsible?

Why no action taken against defaulters?

Why no accountability?

What is required to be done?
5. These questions will have to be answered by the present Govt. Strong and time bound action plans need to be effectively and efficiently initiated. The PM, RM and the three Chiefs must regularly brief the Nation and the Parliament. The following need to be carried out on Operation Immediate Basis:
(a) Establishment of CDS.
(b) CDS & the Chiefs be brought on the decision making loop of the Govt.
(c) The Defence Ministry be restructured to have serving defence officers at the decision making levels.
(d) The defence procurement procedures be streamlined, made transparent and all projects completed within a given time frame. Individuals responsible for any delay be held accountable and action taken against them. Funds allotted for the procurement must be carried forward and not allowed to be lapsed till the budgeted items are procured. (e) DESW must be restructured to have serving officer as its head and serving and ESM on other appointments.
(f) ESM Commission manned by ESM be constituted on priority
(g) Jump Technology concept be followed for all Defence Procurements.
What is Jump Tech Concept? The Nations Defence Requirements for the next 15 – 20 years be worked out and best available eqpt with Tech transfer be procured off the shelf from the world in a most transparent manner and in a given time frame. Own R & D be tasked to develop what other advanced countries are planning and developing in the next to 15 – 20 years. Time bound responsibility, auth and accountability be introduced and implemented for indigenous productions. Sufficient funds for own R & D be earmarked with major business houses encouraged to join in Defence Production.
(h) Defence University be made operational forthwith. All retired officers of the rank of Major General and above be offered to be on the panel of experts. For other ranks of officers, applications be asked and officers selected for fellowship. The pool of experts to function as Indep Think Tanks for National Security formulations. Regular interaction with serving fraternity and other institutions be incorporated to arrive at sound security plans to qualitatively improve defence preparedness. (j) All anti Defence Forces Propaganda be stopped forthwith. Any wrong doings be investigated on priority and exemplary punishment given to those found guilty within a time frame of one year.
(k) The Generals be allowed to function like Generals to win Wars and not made psycophants.
(l) One Rank One Pension (OROP), Non Functional Upgrade (NFU) be sanctioned for Defence personnel at the earliest.
(m) All the anomalies of the previous Pay Commissions be resolved at the earliest.
(n) Court judgements given in favour of Defnece Personnel be implemented.
(o) Widows pension be enhanced at the earliest.
6. The above are a few of many other issues which need to be addressed by the Govt without any further delay.
7. In order to get due justice, it is proposed to start an intense Citizens Movement to plug all loopholes in our defence preparedness and to initiate actions against all found guilty of dereliction of duty and corruption.
8. An Article regarding Civil- Military relations, written by Brigadier V Mahalingam (Retd) is relevant and is enclosed.
9. May we request you to kindly visualize and analyse the seriousness of the above issues and in the interest of the Nation, take actions on warfooting to address all these issues to ensure that our Defence Forces are ready to face all Security Challenges of 21st Century and with glory win Wars for the Nation.
Shahide Azam Bhagat Singh had once said quote “No development can take place unless you question, criticize and analyse the existing order” unquote.
Let us all join in the effort. “The Soldier Protects What?, Guards Whom ? A piece of terrain!, barren, inhospitable, worthless? NO! For the love of his country, and countrymen, his motherland. He protects, Her citizens, He guards, His Karma, He performs- with honour and pride, for your tomorrow He sacrifices His Today”
With Regards,
Jai Hind Yours Sincerely,
Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM
Vice Chairman Indian Ex Servicemen Movement
Published in Patriot
Civil Military Relations