Make specific allegations against SAIL: HC to NGO

The Delhi High Court today asked an NGO, which has filed a PIL for a court-monitored CBI or SIT probe into alleged irregularities in various tendering process undertaken by PSU SAIL, to make specific allegations.
"File a better affidavit giving details of specific allegations as the petition has the allegations which are general in nature," a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw directed advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL).
It listed the matter for further hearing on September 24.
Attorney General (AG) Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for domestic steel giant Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL), alleged the petitioner NGO has indulged in "fishing inquiry".

During the hearing, Bhushan alleged "there is a racket of cartelisation" going on in SAIL in which no competitive bidding is being held which is "contrary to the integrity pact".
CPIL in its plea has alleged that there was a "strong suspicion of acts of corruption" by officials of SAIL in award of various tenders to private firms.

It has also sought cancellation of such "tenders or contracts".
"The process of awarding contracts at inflated costs to a few companies for obscene amounts of profit has already resulted in a loss of approximated Rs 25-30,000 crores to the public exchequer.

"According the proposed expansion plan of SAIL, the capacity is further sought to be expanded to 40 MTPA by the year 2020, which, at the current cost of expansion, would cause a further loss of Rs 40,000 crores and a total loss of Rs 72,000 crores," the PIL has said.