NEW DELHI: The defence ministry has decided to keep all dealings with the seven companies blacklisted in connection with the corruption scandal against former Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) chairman Sudipto Ghosh "on hold'' till the CBI probe into the case is completed.
As reported by TOI earlier, four of the seven companies are foreign: Israeli Military Industries (IMI), Singapore Technologies, Media Architects (Singapore) and BVT Poland. The other three are HYT Engineering, T S Kishan and Company, and R K Machine Tools.
In effect, after consulting the law ministry and the Central Vigilance Commission, MoD has ruled out leniency to any tainted firm even if the acquisition plans of the armed forces are badly affected.
The decision, for instance, has hit the Rs 1,200-crore OFB-IMI project to set up an ordnance complex of five plants at Nalanda in Bihar to manufacture propellant charges for heavy calibre artillery ammunition for Bofors howitzers and other guns.
Moreover, the Pegasus howitzer of Singapore Technologies, one of the biggest aerospace and land systems company in Asia, was the leading contender to bag the Army order for 140 air-mobile ultra-light howitzers for around Rs 2,900 crore.
The firm was also a contender in the Rs 8,000-crore project to buy 400 155mm/52-calibre towed artillery guns as well as indigenous manufacture of another 1,100 howitzers after transfer of technology.
Under the new MoD orders, even if a contract has been concluded and executed, then action will be taken against the companies on completion of the CBI probe.
"No tender will be awarded to the companies mentioned in the FIR, unless the CBI investigation clears them totally. Contracts that have been entered into or are being executed shall remain on hold,'' said an official.
"If the tender process has not begun, there will be no dealing with companies mentioned in an FIR till finalisation of investigation,'' he added.
As reported by TOI earlier, four of the seven companies are foreign: Israeli Military Industries (IMI), Singapore Technologies, Media Architects (Singapore) and BVT Poland. The other three are HYT Engineering, T S Kishan and Company, and R K Machine Tools.
In effect, after consulting the law ministry and the Central Vigilance Commission, MoD has ruled out leniency to any tainted firm even if the acquisition plans of the armed forces are badly affected.
The decision, for instance, has hit the Rs 1,200-crore OFB-IMI project to set up an ordnance complex of five plants at Nalanda in Bihar to manufacture propellant charges for heavy calibre artillery ammunition for Bofors howitzers and other guns.
Moreover, the Pegasus howitzer of Singapore Technologies, one of the biggest aerospace and land systems company in Asia, was the leading contender to bag the Army order for 140 air-mobile ultra-light howitzers for around Rs 2,900 crore.
The firm was also a contender in the Rs 8,000-crore project to buy 400 155mm/52-calibre towed artillery guns as well as indigenous manufacture of another 1,100 howitzers after transfer of technology.
Under the new MoD orders, even if a contract has been concluded and executed, then action will be taken against the companies on completion of the CBI probe.
"No tender will be awarded to the companies mentioned in the FIR, unless the CBI investigation clears them totally. Contracts that have been entered into or are being executed shall remain on hold,'' said an official.
"If the tender process has not begun, there will be no dealing with companies mentioned in an FIR till finalisation of investigation,'' he added.
No comments:
Post a Comment