Guwahati: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against 21 officials of BSNL, Assam circle, and others, alleging that the officials had conspired against BSNL and caused a loss of about Rs 22 crore to the telecom service provider.
The apex investigation agency had registered the case based on a complaint from BSNL (Assam Circle) here.
Reportedly, the ACB branch of CBI Guwahati had received a complaint from BSNL’s Assam circle in August 2021 regarding alleged irregularities in the laying of optical fibre under National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) at Jorhat SSA, Assam Circle of BSNL.
According to the FIR, the case has been registered under Sections 120 B and 420 of the IPC and 13(2) read with 13(1)(d) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 for suspected criminal conspiracy, cheating and criminal misconduct between 2013 to 2018.
Among those accused are a former BSNL general manager, former deputy general manager, former assistant general manager and a former chief accounts officer of BSNL Jorhat, Sibsagar and Guwahati, besides others, including private persons.
“It was alleged that the public servants entered into a conspiracy with a contractor and others and, in pursuance thereof, cheated BSNL. It was further alleged that the contractor was given a work order for laying national optical fibre network cable through open trenching method at the rate of Rs 90,000 per km,” an official statement said.
The NOFN project aims to connect gaon panchayats (GPs) through optical fibre network to provide high-speed internet services in rural areas of the country.
“It was also alleged that later on, the contractor made different pleas including no right of way from owner of private land, etc., to convert open trenching method to horizontal directional drilling (HDD) method (at the rate of Rs 2, 30,000 per km) in spite of provision of right of way, easement clause in the contract, thereby violating the tender clause and causing loss of Rs 22 crore (approximately) to BSNL,” the statement said.
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Searches were conducted on Friday at 25 locations, including offices and residential premises of accused in Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha and Haryana, which led to recovery of incriminating articles.
Further investigation in the case is underway.
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