CBI investigates IITM scientist, firm for award of irregular contract

CBI probes alleged irregularities in contract awarded by Indian Insititute of Tropical Meteorology for supply of Digital Display System at exorbitant cost.

Mumbai: A scientist of the Indian Insititute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, others, and a private firm are being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a case related to alleged irregularities in the award of a contract for the supply of Digital Display System (DDS) at an exorbitant cost.

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The CBI said that though the accused firm had claimed that it was an original equipment manufacturer of the digital display systems, it had allegedly imported the equipment from China for ₹54 lakh then sold them to IITM for ₹1.76 crore.

This caused a loss to the IITM and wrongful gain to itself, according to the CBI. The irregularities happened during 2015-2016.

The tender’s award was for the turnkey job of setting up DDS for SAFAR - Ahmedabad (System for Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research for Ahmedabad).

It involved supplying, fixing and installation of 12 pieces of ‘Outdoor True-Colour LED Display Boards’, four pieces of Indoor LED display and operation and maintenance contract (OMC) for five years to the accused firm, according to the CBI. LED is a semiconductor that emits light when current flows through it.

The agency’s probe commenced on the basis of receipt of a “reliable source information”, alleging that a scientist of the IITM, Pune, and other officers in alleged conspiracy with the private firm and its director had awarded the irregular contract to the accused firm. The contract’s terms, conditions and essential specifications of the items had been allegedly diluted, CBI sources said.

It was further alleged that the firm had dishonestly imported sub-standard items from China for the 12 Outdoor Digital Display Boards for ₹54 lakh, at the rate of ₹4.50 lakh per piece, but supplied the same to IITM at exorbitant rates, at ₹1.76 crore, which made it ₹14.70 lakh per piece, the sources said.

“The suspect officials of the IITM, though knowing well that the items supplied and installed by the firm were not meeting the specifications as per the tender, had fraudulently released the payments,” said an agency source.

“They had done so without carrying out inspections of the items through technical experts thereby causing huge wrongful loss to the IITM and corresponding wrongful gain to the supplier and themselves,” added the source.

“It is further alleged that the firm’s director had fraudulently claimed his company as an original equipment manufacturer of DDSs, whereas he imported the LED panels and other electronic parts from China and assembled the same for supply to the IITM, which were not as per the specifications given in the supply order,” the source said.

The firm is also accused of mis-declaring the LED panels and other electronic parts imported from China before the customs authorities to avoid payments of applicable customs duties.

The agency on Friday registered a First Information Report under Indian Penal Code sections related to criminal conspiracy (120-B) read with cheating (420) and Prevention of Corruption Act’s section for criminal misconduct by public servants, 13 (2) read with 13 (1) (d).

An autonomous institute of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, IITM was set up for the study of the fundamental atmospheric problems and to understand the mechanism of monsoon, weather systems and climate related processes in the tropical region, particularly over the monsoon region.