lTC scam: NHAI official accuses top officials of pressurising her

In a startling revelation, a senior NHAI official probing the lTC scam, has accused the top officials of her organisation of pressurising her to manipulate the vigilance enquiry report. In a letter to the General Manager (Vigilance), former DGM (Administration) Radhey Dua has stated that she was “put under immense pressure by the officers concerned who had direct proximity to the NHAI Chairman to process the case (lTC scam) as per their wishes”. 

Dua pointed this in response to the NHAI Vigilance Department seeking her version about the alleged lapses/irregularities noticed and first exposed by The Pioneer in September 2012.Similar rackets were later unearthed in several other Government establishments. Several Parliamentarians too were interrogated by the CBI in this connection. The matter is still being investigated.

In her statement, Dua has clarified that she verbally discussed the matter with then GM (Administration) VK Sharma and conveyed him that “availing of lTC package is not permitted under lTC rules. Dua was then Manager (Administration). The officers availing lTC included VK Sharma, who is now additional incharge in the capacity of CGM (Administration).

Sources said that Dua was forced to suppress the matter evidently mentioned in her communication to the CVO claiming that she being the “junior most in the official hierarchy” was pressurised by the officers concerned to process the case as per their wishes”.The Vigilance Division after going through the case noted that “changes been made in factual report earlier submitted” and thus has now directed to submit a fresh draft report with inputs incorporated from the NHAI Chairman and be sent to Road Transport and Highway Minister Nitin Gadkari.

“We will enquire in detail. If the allegations made by Dua is correct then action may be initiated against the guilty officers who pressurised her,” said a NHAI official on condition of anonymity. lok Sabha MP Rajendra Agrawal in his letter last month to the CVC has complained about the matter and questioned why action has not been initiated in this almost a decade old case despite of CBI and NHAI itself probing. “RTI Activists has sought my intervention into this matter,” Agarwal said in his letter also copied to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nitin Gadkari. 

Earlier another lok Sabha MP Kirti Azad apprised the Prime Minister requesting for a CBI inquiry into the rampant corrupt practices going on in NHAI as regard to scuttling of  “corrective measures initiated on the direction of the Delhi High Court” on illegal appointments, hushing up of CIC inquiry, misuse of Government vehicles and the lTC Scam.