Sports body whistleblower accuses BC Tripathi
Corruption and cronyism are endemic at the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board – a body that hosts events for state-owned companies.
That’s the damning allegation levelled by ONGC general manager VK Mahendru in an explosive e-mail sent to 24 recipients including all PSU chairmen on January 13. Mahendru, who was forced out as PSPB ‘member secretary’ a day before, on January 12, accuses GAIL chief and PSPB ‘chairman’ BC Tripathi of ignoring irregularities committed on an industrial scale by PSPB ‘member joint secretary’ and former IndianOil manager Vivek Satyajit between March 2012 and July 2013.
“He (Satyajit) signed huge payments during this period which he was not authorised to do by misrepresenting the facts to the ‘president’ (Tripathi),” writes Mahendru, who became ‘member secretary’ on August 2, 2013. “All this was very much in the knowledge of the ‘president’ (Tripathi) but he was never prepared to listen to a word against Satyajit for reasons best known to him.
” Mahendru says Tripathi let Satyajit exercise financial and administrative powers, “despite the fact the articles of association specify no role for the ‘joint secretary’.” Mahendru, who as ‘member secretary’ held a higher rank than Satyajit, adds: “I was astonished to see the depleted list of responsibilities given to me by the ‘president’ and was never kept informed of Satyajit’s actions.
The ‘president’ (Tripathi) entertained him directly and approved many proposals without routing it through me.”