ONGC tech director gets CVC clean chit

NEW DELHI: The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has given a clean chit to a director of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) suspended last year for alleged corruption in a tender that was floated in 2008 but not awarded, sources said.

The oil ministry had suspended Shashi Shanker, director (technology & field services), at state-run ONGC, following allegations of irregularities in the tender for buying Blowout Preventers. The ministry instituted an inquiry into the allegations and sought the advice of CVC on this.

The government, however, reinstated Shanker at ONGC three months after his suspension pending an enquiry, to stick to the Supreme Court order that doesn’t allow suspension of a government employee beyond 90 days without the prosecution framing charges. Shanker, who took over as director (T&FS) in December 2012, was named in those allegations which prompted the oil ministry to order his suspension.

ONGC had floated the tender for buying Blowout Preventers, mechanical devices used to seal, control and monitor oil and gas wells to prevent blowout, in 2008. It received and opened three price bids in 2011. A company panel decided against awarding the contract to anyone, which provoked charges of irregularities from the lowest bidder, who claimed it had incurred financial losses because of ONGC’s decision.

The CVC’s advice has come after more than a year of the suspension, during which it sought several clarifications from the ministry, sources said. The ministry will take a final call on the matter shortly.

If the ministry agrees with the CVC advice and issues fresh order to end the whole episode, it would help clean up Shanker’s service record and allow him to receive the full compensation that is held back during suspension, sources said.