A former director and the head scientist of the CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Dhanbad have been booked by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for allegedly committing a fraud of over Rs 139 crore by dishonestly initiating the distribution of intellectual fees for coal sampling, officials said on Monday
A senior CBI official stated that reliable information was received, indicating that CSIR-CIMFR's then Director Dr. Pradeep Kumar Singh and Chief Scientist/Head of Research Group at the Resource Quality Assessment Division, Dr. Ashok Kumar Singh, in association with unknown others, dishonestly carried out the distribution of project fee (intellectual fee/honorarium) between 2016 and 2021 by violating the CSIR Guidelines for Technology Transfer and Utilisation of Knowledgebase 2005 & 2017.
The CBI has claimed in the FIR that they caused a wrongful loss of Rs 139,79,97,871 to the CSIR-CIMFR.
A meeting was held on October 28, 2015, in New Delhi under the chairmanship of the Minister of State for Coal, Power, and NRE, in the presence of representatives from the coal-consuming power sector and coal-producing bodies, and CSIR-CIMFR was appointed as the third party sampling agency on behalf of power and coal companies.
Four MoUs for third-party sampling of coal (TPS) were executed, with the CSIR-CIMFR being represented through its Director, Dr. P.K. Singh.
As per the MoU, various agreements were executed by the CSIR-CIMFR with coal-producing companies and power companies for the purpose of coal sampling. The tenure of the said agreements was for ten years, which could be further extended for another five years on mutual consent of the parties.
This agreement specifically mentioned the quantity of coal to be sampled on a yearly basis and did not stipulate any subdivision of the agreement into various projects for a shorter period.
"However, 304 coal sampling projects were created by CSIR-CIMFR by combining several agreements into one project. Furthermore, several projects were created from one specific agreement by curtailing its tenure from ten years and specifying the quantity of coal to be sampled in the project to facilitate the distribution of intellectual fees. Dr. P.K. Singh, then Director, and Dr. A.K. Singh, Chief Scientist, thereby conspired with others with the intention to share the intellectual fees by violating para CSIR Guidelines," said the official.
The total honorarium, intellectual fee, and project fee amounting to Rs 139,79,97,871 were distributed in coal sampling projects between 2016 and 2021 to the Scientists, Technical Officers, Administrative Staff, and other staff of CIMFR, in violation of CSIR Guidelines.
"Dr. P.K. Singh and Dr. A.K. Singh received intellectual fees of Rs 15,36,72,000 and Rs 9,04,31,337 respectively through 304 Coal Sampling Projects in violation of the CSIR Guidelines for Technology Transfer and Knowledgebase, 2005 & 2017. As per CSIR Guidelines, project records were required to be maintained by Dr. A.K. Singh and other officials, and they were to be ensured by Dr. P.K. Singh. However, the same was not done.
"Money was paid to ineligible officials, librarians, MBBS doctors, and technical officers without their contribution. We have lodged an FIR under the Prevention of Corruption Act and are looking into the matter," said the official.
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