The employees union of the Orissa Power Generation Corporation (OPGC) has drawn the attention of the state chief minister Naveen Patnaik to order an enquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the irregularities committed by the OPGC management
“The AES managed company is in shambles due to the autocratic management. About 70 engineers have left the company in the last three years after being mentally humiliated”, Uma Ballav Rath, president of the OPGC Employees Union said.
Addressing the media, Rath said, the corporation has Rs 1000 crore of cash reserves, 2000 acres of litigation free land and water permission for expansion of the third and fourth units of the Ib Thermal Power Station.
However, instead of going ahead with the expansion, the government is falling back on AES to implement the project, which is not interested in it, he added. Rath pointed out that consultant after consultant is being appointed to assess the feasibility of the proposed expansion and lakhs of rupees are being spent each time the proposed capacity of the expansion is changed.
Alleging that large scale irregularities are committed by OPGC, Rath said, “One finance director of the company has availed Rs 40,000 from the company for her beautification in Mumbai. She had also drawn the house rent from the corporation despite getting government accommodation. However, complaints by the union forced the official to surrender the house rent amount.” Moreover, the state government is not exercising its extra voting power which it has in the OPGC’s management.
The CAG commercial report for 1999-2000 stated that OPGC is showing undue favour in the payment of Rs 9.35crore as dividend to AES for 1998-99, there was no attempt to recover it.
It may be noted that the then director (finance) of OPGC in a communication on April 17, 2000 requested the deputy accountant general (inspection and commercial) to drop the issue.
OPGC does not have a full-time chairman and the secretary, energy department of Orissa government who is acting as the part-time chairman is kept in the dark on important matters. “We urge the chief minister to intervene in the matter and book all the culprits involved in the financial irregularities”, Rath added.
