SHILLONG, Sep 3: The state’s Transport department is maintaining a silence on the FIR lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against unknown officials of the department, director of a Mumbai-based private company and others on the charges of irregularities in the tender process for High Security Registration Plates (HSRPs).
Senior officials of the department were not available for comments.
Transport Minister, Sniawbhalang Dhar had recently said, “Let the CBI do its job. This did not happen during my tenure.”
He had refused to comment further.
According to the FIR, the state government had floated a tender for HSRPs in 2003 and three Mumbai and Delhi-based companies, such as Shimnit Utsch India Pvt Ltd, Real Industries Ltd (now Real Mazon India Ltd) and Tonnjes Eastern Security Technologies Pvt Ltd (now Test Security Licence Plates Pvt Ltd), had participated.
The CBI said Nitin Shah, who is the director of Shimnit Utsch India Pvt Ltd, had colluded with unknown officials of the Transport department and allegedly
rigged the tender process by submitting collusive bids through entities controlled by him.
The FIR alleged that the work was awarded to this company at four to five times more than the rates for rest of India in 2005.
The CBI registered a case on July 29 against Shah and unknown officials of the Transport department and others under Sections 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant Sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
