CBI asked to file reply on cranes purchase

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, AUG. 29. The Delhi High Court today asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to file by October 19 its reply to a public interest litigation petition questioning the purchase of 12 cranes of the total value of Rs. 130 crores by the Railway Board in 1996.

When counsel for the CBI said the board had not provided relevant documents a Division Bench comprising the Chief Justice, Mr.Arijit Pasayat, and Mr. D.K. Jain granted time to reply to the petition.

The petition has been filed by Mr. Vivek Khare, a social and political activist of Pune. He has sought setting aside the Limited Tender Procedure by which the cranes were purchased from a German firm and a U. K company in 1996.

The Comptroller and Auditor-General in its report for 1997-98 said there was an estimated over-expenditure of about Rs. 60 crores in the purchase.

The process for the procurement of the accident-relief cranes was initiated in 1995, and the delivery made in 1996.

The petitioner also sought the initiation of criminal proceedings against the officials responsible for the deal.

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