CBI books 21 BSNL officials for Rs 22-cr graft; searches 25 locations

The CBI registered the FIR against officials of BSNL Assam Circle and it was alleged that a tender clause violation took place in a work order for laying National Optical Fibre Network Cable causing a loss of Rs 22 crore, according to officials.

New Delhi : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has registered a case against over 21 senior officials of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), has carried out searches at 25 locations, official sources said. These searches were conducted at the offices and residences of the accused BSNL officials spread over Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, and Haryana.

The BSNL officials were accused of resorting to corruption by hatching a conspiracy with a contractor in regard to the optical fibre network. In the CBI case, it was alleged that a work order was given for laying National Optical Fibre Network Cable through an open trenching method at Rs 90,000 per km. But the work order pertaining to the BSNL Assam Circle was later changed to cheat the government-run entity, according to CBI sources.

The BSNL officials against whom CBI registered the FIR included the managerial cadre officials - a former general manager, deputy general manager, assistant general manager, and chief accounts officer in Jorhat, Sibsagar, Guwahati and other places, sources said. A private person has also been named in the first information report (FIR).

As per the CBI case, the contractor came out with modifications in the works in order to change from the open trenching method to a horizontal directional drilling method, which will cost Rs 2.30 lakh per km. This was in spite of the provision of the right of way, easement clause in the contract and they violated the tender clause, causing a loss of about Rs 22 crore to the BSNL, the officials said.