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Notices sent to 30 officials over Dabhol PPA

Renni Abraham in Mumbai

The Kurdukar commission of enquiry has given the Maharashtra government and over 30 state and central government officials until September 16, to file their signed statements giving information about their respective roles in sanctioning of the power purchase agreements pertaining to the Enron-promoted Dabhol Power Company power project.

The commission of enquiry was set up under retired Supreme Court judge S P Kurdukar by the Maharashtra government and had sought the statements from bureaucrats as well as the state government and the Union power ministry, who in some way or the other were associated with the Enron-promoted Dabhol Power Company project, it has as yet only received a 150-page affidavit filed by the Maharashtra State Electricity Board.

The Maharashtra government, as well as most of the officials whose statements have been sought by the commission had sought more time to file their replies, citing reasons ranging from work pressures and their current postings for the delay.

Even the Union power ministry had communicated to the commission that it would get back later.

The letter issued to the above mentioned notes: "...From the material available with the commission so far it appears that you in your capacity as ....... might be connected, concerned with the decision making process, negotiations and agreements with Enron/ Dabhol Power Company."

The missive further directs: "In the interest of justice you better file your statement in order to advance the cause of the commission within two weeks."

The missives sent across to various bureaucrats serving and retired, who at some point of time were part of the decision making process directly or indirectly, seems like a who's who of the state and country's bureaucracy.

These include A R Harane (currently chief executive officer of ILFS), VVRK Rao {chairman of Central Electricity Authority (CAG)}, BK Singhlu (retired Comptroller and Auditor General of India), Pradeep Baijal (secretary, Union ministry of disinvestment), L P Sonkar (joint director, power planning commission), S Sethu Vedanathan (retired chief engineer, CEA), Y P Gambhir (retired chairman of CEA), NK Singh (member, energy, planning commission), R V Mathur (retired secretary, CEA), Ajit Nimbalkar (special secretary, Union ministry of home affairs), A K Upadhyay (administrator, Bihar State Road Transport Corporation), N Raghunathan (retired chief secretary), N Ramji (commissioner and principal secretary, food and suppliers, West Bengal).

Vinay Bansal (additional secretary and financial advisor, Union department of commerce), M P Pinto (secretary, Union ministry of shipping), M I Beg (retired chairman CEA) and Ashok Basak (additional chief secretary, home, Maharashtra) were sent their missives by hand delivery on July 24.

In the meanwhile, the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), DPC-opponents such as the Enron Virodhi Andolan, activists Pradyumna Kaul, SR Paranjpe, Abhay Mehtra, CITU, PB Samand of the Janta Dal (secular) and Rakchapal Abrol of the Bombay small scale industries association have filed written submissions to the commission on the project.

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