CBI books Adani Ent in coal supply contract

NEW DELHI: The CBI has registered a case of cheating and corruption against Adani Enterprises and a former chairman and an exmanaging director of multistate cooperative NCCF for alleged irregularities in selecting a company for a tender to supply coal to power stations in Andhra Pradesh, officials said.

Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation (APGENCO) had floated a limited tender enquiry for the supply of six lakh MTs of imported coal via sea ports to Narla Tata Rao Thermal Power Plant in Vijaywada and Rayalaseema Thermal Power Plant (RTPP) in Kadapa on June 29, 2010, they said.

The tender enquiry was forwarded to seven PSUs including National Co-cooperative Consumer Federation India Ltd (NCCF), a multi-state cooperative under Union Consumer Affairs ministry having 78% government stake, they said.

The CBI booked Adani Enterprises, the then NCCF chairman Virender Singh, the then managing director of NCCF G P Gupta and its senior advisor SC Singhal under IPC sections related to alleged criminal conspiracy and cheating and Provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act for allegedly favouring the Ahmedabad-based company in the tender and violation of guidelines.

There was no response to a query sent to Adani Enterprises Ltd seeking its comments. The CBI alleged that acts of "omission and commission" by the NCCF officers disclose that they acted in "a manner as unbecoming of public servants" and conspired with the company.

The FIR said the officers "committed irregularities by the way of manipulation in the selection of the bidders, thereby giving undue favour to Adani Enterprises Ltd. in award of work for supply of imported coal to APGENCO despite its disqualification.