Patna, (Bihar Times): The Interpol has confirmed to CBI
that Rs 90 crore was paid as kickback by one of the
two Russian firms, Technoprom Exports, for the
purchase of equipment for the Rs 8,600-crore NTPC
project in Barh in Patna district of Bihar. The
foundation of this project was laid first on March
1999 by the then Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee,
and once again by the then Union power minister,
Suresh Prabhu, on September 12, 2001. However, this
scandal pertains to 2005, when the late P M Sayeed of
the UPA was the power minister of India.
According to the revelation the money was paid to an
organisation run by Raveena Khurana, the daughter of a
retired vice admiral. The CBI, it needs to be
mentioned, sought the help of Interpol following
allegations of commission in the purchase of equipment
for the power plant. Reports say that investigations
conducted by Interpol detected the kickback in a
London bank account of Ms Khurana.
There is allegations that the CBI is going slow
following the pressure by one of the general
secretaries of the Congress party.
The Barh project is already two years behind schedule. There are reports of disputes between the Indian side
and the Russian company. This has virtually stalled
the work. However, last week the government had
directed NTPC to renew contacts with Russian companies
in India and Moscow to sort out differences on various
issues in the next one month.
Reports also say that the two Russian companies,
Technoprom Exports and Power Machines, are now
demanding a price escalation for the equipment, citing
higher steel prices. Technoprom was to supply boilers
to the project, while turbines and generators were
from Power Machines.
