The officials of Meerut’s Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam have crossed all limits of corruption. Flaunting the Central Government’s directives, the agents purchased an 18-kilometre-long substandard cable, generating profits worth millions of rupees to Gujarat-based TCL. Following the complaint by the Electricity Consumer Council, PVVNL CEO Isha Duhan launched an investigation into the scam.
The matter corresponds to the months of March and April of this year. L&T company has received a tender for a project in Paschimanchal from the Central Government. The quality of material used in this tender is under the supervision of Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam. Torrent Electrical Private Limited of Nadiad, Gujarat was tasked with supplying 18 km long HT cable in this project. The price of this cable is one million rupees and eighty lakh.
On March 12, 2024, PVVNL officials visited the company in Gujarat and conducted pre-shipment inspection of the cable. During inspection it was found that the cable was not standard. On 15 of the 20 drum cables the name PVVNL was not clear. There were bubbles in the cables of 3 drums. That means the cables on these drums were swollen and of poor quality.
The name of the discom is printed on the cable along with the company name. This is done so that if it is found that the material supplied does not meet the standards, action can be taken against the company concerned. But with the intention of hiding the name, it was not printed clearly and prominently. The company conspired to do all this because of the poor quality of the cables.
Oxidized copper tape was found attached to the cable in drum number AN-61367J. It is very worrying that this happens. This shows that the agents had hatched a conspiracy to install substandard cables in the project due to corruption. Apart from this, cut cables were found in two other drums.
In the first inspection carried out by the PVVNL officer on March 12, 2024, an objection was raised on the grounds that the cable was not standard. As per the SBG (Standard Bidding Guidelines) of the Central Government, if the material is found to be non-conforming with the standards during the first inspection, the company has to pay a fine of Rs 50,000 including the expenses of the inspection team including GST . While in the second inspection the supply of material must be cancelled.
PVVNL’s quality cell got TCL’s poor cable inspected for the second time. This time, as in the first inspection, the official raised objections but did not cancel the supply.
Barely 7 days after the second inspection, on April 20, 2024, PVVNL’s quality cell sent XEN Krishnakumar Saraswat posted in the grievance cell to inspect the substandard cable for the third time. During this inspection, Saraswat felt good and placed the tested OK seal on the substandard cable. Saraswat is alleged to have collected a bribe of Rs 15 lakh for this work.
(XEN Krishnakumar Saraswat, benefiting a company in Gujarat that supplies substandard cables)
This monkey game continued under the eye of PVVNL MD Isha Duhan but she was not even informed. Electricity Consumer Council president Awadhesh Verma complained about this matter to the government, following which PVVNL managing director Isha Duhan ordered an inquiry into the matter.
In this matter, it is also necessary to investigate those responsible for the Quality Cell who repeatedly sent officials for inspection at the request of the company to check the defective cables.
Electricity Consumer Council president Awadhesh Verma says many supply-related scams have been found in Paschimanchal recently. This is about playing with public safety. It seems that the officer is involved in corruption or deliberately turns a blind eye to the corruption of his subordinates. This matter will be raised before the Minister of Energy.
