The vigilance department of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a defence public undertaking, has ordered blacklisting of a design consultant and action against eight of its own senior officials over irregularities in awarding contracts.

BEL allegedly allocated a consultancy contract to RD Konsultants for a confidential defence project to a single company without following due process, reveals the company’s internal report.

Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) Shiva Kumar recommended the action for allegedly favouring certain domestic and foreign companies at the cost of national security, and the taxpayer’s money.

The CVO has flagged “deep-rooted corruption” and said the irregularities in the project for the Integrated Air Command and Control System (an automated system for air defence operations) were carried out with criminal intent. He said government rules were flouted in giving contracts for civil works, plant and machinery.

“A company that came into existence in April 2010 showed its employees had an experience of five years in 2013. Another company, M/s Systems Dynamics, was rejected by the committee on the criterion it had shown a turnover for only two years (2010-12),” the report stated.

DNA had exposed irregularities in awarding contracts in an April 3 report (‘Bharat Electronics bent norms to favour private firm: Report’).

Norms flouted:

No norms of Request For Proposal or tendering were followed. (Company) was selected just based on a recommendation by the DRDO with no written correspondence from the DRDO: BEL inquiry report

[“source=dnaindia”]