The CBI has asked the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to provide details of penalty proceedings against 12 NHAI top officers involved in “rampant corrupt practices” over the years. In a communication dated December 28, 2015, the investigating agency has specifically questioned the authority on leave Travel Concession (lTC) fraud and on appointments of four officers within the organisation in gross violation of rules and regulations of.
Earlier, in September 2015 the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) had asked NHAI to impose penalty along with adverse warning to officials found guilty of misusing the lTC scheme meant for domestic travel instead they used to holiday abroad.
Interestingly, few days before the CBI’s communication, NHAI Central vigilance Officer Satish Chandra directed for recovery of “total amount” from the eight officials who went beyond the territorial jurisdiction of lTC. Chandra, who is also NHAI Member (Administration), had earlier let off the officials by recovering only the “excess amount”. While the excess amount levied were about Rs30,000, the total amount technically will be around Rs2, 25,000.
Both the CBI as well as CVC has also questioned illegal appointment of Chief General Manager VK Sharma, who is also a beneficiary of the lTC scheme under scanner.
Former Transport Secretary VK Chibber, who demitted office last month, had also ordered stringent punitive action when the matter was highlighted by The Pioneer. Chibber in August 2015 noted for “an adverse warning in ACRs of the guilty officers” but no action till end of the year by NHAI prompted the CBI to forward the complaint to the authority. Sources said that details of appointments of four officials have also been sought by the CBI.
The CVC reprimanded NHAI in September 2015 for exonerating the ‘culprits’ involved in the scam by treating lTC travel as a routine “irregular payment” and then the attempts to shield the officials from disciplinary proceedings.