Dalip Singh | Mail Today | New Delhi, June 14, 2011
Suresh Sharma exposed corruption and nepotism in sensitive appointments made by top brass of NTRO.
A senior official in the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) is facing the heat for blowing the whistle on corruption and nepotism in the premier intelligence body.
Director (establishment) Suresh Sharma was moved out of the NTRO’s Delhi headquarters after red-flagging large-scale irregularities in sensitive appointments made by the organisation brass.
The NTRO has been courting bad publicity following an as yet-unreleased report by the comptroller and auditor general (CAG), criticising the organisation for alleged irregularities in the purchase of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles).
The organisation, set up after the Kargil war to spruce up technical intelligence, reports to the National Security Adviser who is answerable directly to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The PMO has sought the NTRO’s response on the CAG report.
In January, about a month before he was moved to Bangalore, Sharma wrote to NSA Shiv Shankar Menon accusing senior adviser P. V. Kumar of aiding irregularities in the appointment of external pilots and scientists, among other posts. Recently, Kumar was elevated as the NTRO head.
The PMO had forwarded Sharma’s complaint for appropriate action to Kumar, then acting chairman of the NTRO. As nothing seemed to have come of it, the PMO sent a reminder on March 30 and asked for an action taken report.
The PMO also constituted a single-member inquiry panel under Kumar to look into the complaints of irregular appointments. Strangely, the complaints were marked to Kumar despite the fact that the supervisory role of the NTRO chairman was not above board.
A detailed questionnaire was faxed to the NTRO chairman more than a week back, seeking his response on the serious charges against him and allegations of corruption in the premier organisation. However, Kumar refused to file a reply despite several reminders.
Sharma had alleged in his letter to the NSA that Kumar had attempted to water down the true findings of his inquiry panel. Sharma could not be reached for comments despite making several calls to Bangalore.
Sharma, who was holding the charge of additional controller (administration) in the NTRO, stated in his fivepage complaint that he had tried to apprise Kumar of the appointments violating all government norms and corruption in the organisation.
“A lot of pressure was mounted on me to change my notes but, as a dutiful officer of central government posted in a very sensitive organisation, I did not succumb to any such pressure,” he wrote.
The letter quotes several instances to give a glimpse of what is wrong in the NTRO. A group captain (retired) posted at the Dehradun aviation base was shielded despite complaints of corruption pending against him. As a cover-up exercise, the NTRO ordered an inquiry against him. But its establishment division suggested the probe report not be accepted as it did not follow government regulations. Once the objections were raised on the official file, it was never returned to the establishment division, Sharma alleged.
Two officers were employed on a contract basis in the organisation at the joint secretary-level. The NTRO, overlooking the PMO’s directive putting a cap on employment at 65 years’ age, wanted to extend their services. The NTRO suggested the two could be appointed at ‘job contract basis’, which too was illegal.
The CAG report is also believed to have taken note of the irregularities. But it is suspected the government is not willing to make the report public as it would open up a can of worms which would be difficult for the PMO to defend.
One comment was submitted by one of our visitor with above Headline –
It is true picture of all DRDO lab, Government already asked one question from DRDO in its 25 question query as following and same was circulated to all Labs
” The best talent is going to multinational and not joining DRDO because of certain reasons. DRDO is going only left over. Please furnish data for last 3 years on talented people joining from esteemed institute . (CC R&D HR)”
The following comment is specially important to our DRDO top management for introspection.
Submitted on 2014/11/19 at 4:23 pm
Ravind is as bad as projected here.
He had no vision but he ran out of time to realise it.
He was having no clarity to drive program and make things moving
He was a task master and made everyone to work for his PPTs and visit arrangements only.
It’s fortunate for LRDE that he didn’t get his extension.
His bad quality is that he didn’t take every one with him. The position and power ruined him.
He neglected demotivated working class with his tongue
He started interacting only with LMC and his chela’s .
He treated everyone as untouchables.
If he had come down to lab alone and interacted with ground level
LRDE today may in better position.
He created bad name to LRDE with his egoism.
Spoiled relationship with CDA, DGs and posted out
All those who spoke against him to DG office or sidelined from active projects.
Sincere request to him that after his retirement he should not try to occupy some DRDO chair or
Consultant position at BEL or some company or NTRO consultancy.
He passed his productive professional innings long back
He can’t contribute further he should understand and live his retirement life quietly
He can’t bring harmony in work place where ever he goes.
He is just power hungry and egoistic. He can’t become a good leader who can take everybody with him and can listen wisely.
Request to all those agencies / organisations think thrice before appointing him for post retired roles. Keep all the comments in mind and give a chance to Ravind.
EXCLUSIVE INTELLIGENCE SECURITY BREACHES By The Way, I Dropped It India’s defence data could be an open secret. Ask the NTRO bosses who lost their laptops. SAIKAT DATTA – OUTLOOK INDIA.COM
MAGAZINE | AUG 30, 2010
The Agni missile: India’s nuclear delivery mechanism could well be in enemy knowledge
In 2006, Ravind Sistala was one among a clutch of scientists on deputation from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) in New Delhi. Set up in the aftermath of the 1999 Kargil War, NTRO was meant to be a single technical intelligence facility to keep watch on India’s hostile neighbours. It was also supposed to issue warning signals to those manning India’s missile systems and nuclear warheads in real time so that they could retaliate in case of a possible enemy strike. Sistala’s was a crucial job. The fortysomething was the centre director of NTRO’s missile monitoring division, a position that called for high levels of responsibility and secrecy. But very few within India’s security apparatus are aware, even today, that Sistala was involved in one of the biggest security breaches in India’s post-Independence history. He compromised a Rs 1,850-crore intelligence-gathering programme that had key linkages to India’s growing nuclear arsenal and missile systems. Unencrypted ‘Top Secret’ data pertaining to these was stored on Sistala’s Hewlett-Packard laptop (given to him by NTRO) which disappeared mysteriously while he was on his way to the Delhi airport in early 2006. Did the information-packed computer fall into the wrong hands? Was it stolen by an enemy agent? Even today, no one knows where the laptop is. If still in enemy hands, it has the potential to inflict immense damage.
Ideally, such a security leak should have set alarm bells ringing and occasioned a swift and thorough investigation by the IB, RAW and Delhi Police. But rather than give the incident the attention and inquiry it deserved, a small but extremely powerful group of people—comprising a PMO official, DRDO scientists on deputation to NTRO and intelligence officials—helped Sistala escape any indictment by holding just an in house inquiry, which unearthed little. The missing laptop forgotten, Sistala continued as the head of the sensitive missile programme for another two years, and then returned to the DRDO.
Two years after the Sistala episode, another security breach took place in the NTRO. Arun Dixit, the centre director of the organisation’s atomic explosion division (AED), lost his laptop somewhere in Washington DC during an official trip to the US with the NTRO chairman. The laptop was crammed with top secret data on India’s intelligence on the nuclear weapons programmes of several countries, including Pakistan, China and North Korea. But like in Sistala’s case, the powerful lobby of defence scientists once again scuttled a thorough investigation. The leak was buried and kept out of the files. Dixit too escaped any scrutiny and still serves in the NTRO in the very same post.
Lost Laptops And Their ‘X’ Files
Place Delhi
Year 2006
Official Involved Ravind Sistala
Designation Centre Director (missile monitoring division)
Organisation National Technical Research Organisation
Incident Laptop goes missing from his car
Secret Data Lost
Presentations on Indian efforts to monitor missiles of neighboring countries
Details on the capabilities of the nuclear delivery systems of Pakistan and China
Response options available to India’s nuclear forces (Strategic Forces Command)
Deployment of radars to counter incoming missiles
Vulnerable points in India’s air defence network
Action taken None. Laptop not recovered. Official transferred to DRDO in a more sensitive position.
***
Place Washington DC
Year 2008
Official Involved Arun Dixit
Designation Centre Director (atomic devices division)
Organisation NTRO
Secret Data Lost
Defence nuclear programmes of neighbouring countries
Nuclear proliferation in Asia
Dirty bombs being made in neighbouring countries
Action taken None. Laptop not recovered. After probe, errant official retained in the same organisation.
***
Place Delhi
Year 2003
Organisation Defence Research and Development Organisation
Incident 53 computers go missing; later found with hard disks removed
Secret Data Lost
Secret coding of all communication used by the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the defence forces, and the paramilitary forces, including Border Security Force
Logs of intercepted Pakistani communications
Action taken Case still unsolved. None of the hard disks have been recovered. DRDO has practically closed the case.
SistalaandDixitclearly violated OSA,butescaped. They were also liableto 14 years’imprisonment.
The NTRO was set up in the summer of ’03. A year earlier, a Group of Ministers had handpicked RAW special secretary R.S. Bedi to set up the new intelligence outfit. Bedi started the process by setting up an office in room no. 326, Sardar Patel Bhavan, in the heart of Delhi, on March 29, 2003. The organisation was formally notified in July.
Set up to plug gaps in India’s security establishment post the Kargil debacle, the NTRO’s charter eventually went much beyond the mere act of gathering intelligence. It became a key element within the security apparatus, hitting headlines recently when Outlook reported its ability to pluck GSM phone calls off the air. Bedi had served in RAW’s Aviation Research Centre, which monitored the missile and atomic programmes of neighbours. NTRO took on this responsibility after it came into being.
NTRO’s task thus was to monitor and gather intelligence on all missile programmes in the region and convey the data in real time to the Strategic Forces Command (SFC), a special military organisation that mans India’s nuclear arsenal and would deploy it in the event of a nuclear war. The SFC would also, based on NTRO data, periodically review and upgrade its positioning of nuclear missiles, and coordinate with the defence forces in launching a counter-strike against any nuclear threat.
This called for a credible linkage between a vast and intricate network of ground-based radars, satellites, secret command codes and SFC’s nuclear arsenal. NTRO’s missile monitoring division established these linkages and set up an early warning network for the SFC. Sistala had a key role in creating these linkages and as such had access to the most sensitive data on India’s capabilities, response time and secret codes. Naturally enough, all these details were part of the presentations, notes, documents, files and folders—all marked ‘Top Secret’—he had on the laptop he was given by the NTRO. Standard rules mandate that a laptop given by the organisation cannot be taken home or used to connect to the Internet. But these being early days for NTRO, Sistala was travelling around the country making presentations to security officials, beginning with then NSA M.K. Narayanan to the three service chiefs, the SFC commander, the intelligence chiefs and other top DRDO scientists who were to work on the technological aspects of the project.
This is the time his laptop went missing. Shockingly, NTRO buried the episode in no time. A preliminary inquiry was ordered to be carried out by Brigadier Anil Malhotra, its counter-intelligence official, but it was quickly wound up. By this time, Bedi had retired from NTRO. A powerful lobby of defence scientists, led by R. Chidambaram, the principal scientific advisor to the government, had already determined his successor: DRDO scientist K.V.S.S. Prasad Rao. Rao had no previous experience in intelligence but he had served as the staff officer to Chidambaram for several years. Sistala, also from the DRDO, got a much-needed reprieve from the ongoing inquiry. He continued with the missile monitoring division for two more years before returning to the DRDO to work on air defence radars.
Outlook’s attempts to elicit an official comment from NTRO via a detailed questionnaire sent a week before going to print met with silence. Phone calls and text messages to NTRO chairman Prasad Rao, its advisor P.V. Kumar, Sistala and Dixit evoked no response either. DRDO, in a cryptic response to an Outlook query, said it wasn’t aware of any lapses by Sistala at NTRO.
Such security breaches are nothing new for the clique that still lords it over DRDO and NTRO. In Oct ’03, 53 computers were stolen one night from two DRDO labs—the Systems Analysis Group and the Institute for Systems Analysis and Studies—in Metcalfe House in Delhi. The computer carcasses were found later, but the hard disks had been removed. They contained secret encryption codes and communications of the army, navy, air force and all central police organisations. Till date, no DRDO scientist has been blamed. Many have even been promoted. A police investigation made no headway, while an internal inquiry remains alive on paper even though many of its members have retired.
It’s also ironical that while many other officials have been prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) on flimsy and concocted cases (see following story), Sistala and Dixit have escaped, despite being in clear violation of the OSA. In fact, since the leaks were related to India’s nuclear defence as well as secret codes, they could easily have attracted a penalty of 14 years’ imprisonment. Instead, the duo has continued in their careers. Should India’s intelligence agencies really be allowed to operate without even a modicum of accountability?
India TV webteam [ Updated 13 Mar 2013, 07:21:39 ]
New Delhi, Mach 13: Chinese hackers have breached the systems of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) leading to the leak of thousands of top secret files related to Cabinet Committee on Security, which have been detected to have been uploaded on a server in Guangdong, the Mumbai newspaper DNA reported.
The report says this is the biggest security breach in the Indian defence establishment.
The breach was detected in the first week of this month when officials from India’s technical itelligence wing, NTRO (National Technical Research Organisation), working with private Indian cyber security experts cracked open a file called “army cyber policy”.
The file was found attacked to hacked email accounts of senior DRDO officials that quickly spread through the system in a matter of seconds, says the DNA report.
As Indian security experts began to track its origin, they discovered, for the first time, that all the sensitive files stolen from the infected systems were beingu ploaded on a server in Guangdong province of China.
So far, Indian intelligence had never been able to pinpoint a hacking attack with such accuracy.
Indian cyber security experts discovered thousands of top secret CCS files, and other documents related to surface-to-air missile and radar programmes from DRDL, a DRDO lab based in Hyderabad, among many other establishments.
Even the e-tickets of DRDO scientists who had travelled to Delhi in February were found on the server.
Intelligence officials also discovered documents of deals struck between DRDO and Bharat Dyamics Ltd, a defence PSU which makes strategic missiles and components.
Other recovered files related to price negotiations with MBDA, a French missile manufacturing company.
The official website of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) once again came under the cyber attack unleashed by the Chinese hackers.
According to the Mumbai newspaper DNA, Chinese hackers breached the security of DRDO website and accessed thousands of top secret files.
As par the report, the top secret files related to Cabinet Committee on Security have been uploaded on a server based in Guangdong.
The report claims that this is the biggest security breach in the Indian defence establishment.
The hacking incident came to the fore in the first week of this month when officials from India’s technical intelligence wing, National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), along with private Indian cyber security experts cracked open a file called “army cyber policy”.
The DNA report claimed that the file was found attacked to hacked email accounts of senior DRDO officials that quickly spread through the system in a matter of seconds.
Later, the NTRO found that all the sensitive files stolen from the infected systems were being uploaded on a server in Guangdong province of China.
For the first time, Indian cyber intelligence team has successfully tracked the hacking location.
Indian cyber security experts discovered thousands of top secret CCS files, and other documents related to surface-to-air missile and radar programmes from DRDL, a DRDO lab based in Hyderabad, among many other establishments.
Even the e-tickets of DRDO scientists who had travelled to Delhi in February were found on the server.
Intelligence officials also discovered documents of deals struck between DRDO and Bharat Dyamics Ltd, a defence PSU which makes strategic missiles and components.
Other recovered files related to price negotiations with MBDA, a French missile manufacturing company.
Time has now come to seek judicial intervention for investigation in the acts of omission and commission of DRDO chief as GoI (MoD) does not seem to be acting against culprits. This person , when in trouble, tries to divert attention by firing couple of toys in the sky. He is so blatant in his acts of favoritism and nepotism that despite the orders of constitutional bodies , he tries is his best to dilute the action. As I set the ball in motion for seeking intervention of Delhi High Court ( and of SC if necessary) , I would like to appeal to , through your blog, all like minded countrymen to join me in making DRDO a better place to work in. These rouge elements have destroyed DRDO and they must be brought to book and punished suitably.I was proud of DRDO once but have been deeply saddened by what is happening in this wonderful organisation. A bunch of looters , thugs and rouges have destroyed it . Kindly communicate to all concerned that they may contact me to start the judicial campaign to clean up DRDO.As you may also be aware that despite all the pressure/ request of Solicitor General to the SC bench to dispose off my present petition (on the plea that PMO itself is taking action in NTRO scam case,) the SC bench rebuffed the Govt by saying that ‘ this court have reasons to believe that Govt is taking action only after the intervention of this court and hence monitoring of investigation ( in NTRO scam) by this court will contine.’In so far as my second PIL on the issue of accountability of Indian Intelligence Agencies is concerned, my junior advocate on record in SC Rohit Singh (who prepared the petitions for filing ) was down with slip disc for last 3 months and hence the delay in filing second PIL. We hope to file two more PILs shortly directly in SC .The evidence and constitutional position is documentary and irrefutable. .The whole exercise/aim is to ensure that executive arrogance be questioned and agencies work as per Indian Constitution and ‘Thughs and Robbers ‘ are brought to book.
I must tell you that I did nothing big in exposing corruption in NTRO , merely used my right as the citizen of India and sought judicial intervention after Govt failed to act. I know that all out attempts are still being made to delay the action against the big wigs in NTRO ( quite a few middle level and junior level officials have been dismissed or have resigned – in all about 90+ ; but the politically well connected are still being protected by delaying action) . Usual stuff and predictable action by Govt. My case and other cases prove the point that ‘how so ever big you may be , you are non-entity in front of the law’. Hence if you want some concrete action to be taken in DRDO case , seek judicial intervention; do not expect one looter/thug to act against another looter/thug. I have seen well known individuals shaking when it comes to questioning by courts .
Remember if I can do it, others can do it as well . So it is high time that all right thinking people join hands and work together to save DRDO .
Best wishes,
V K Mittal
605, Satpura Apartment
Kaushambi,
Ghaziabad-201010
(m)- 9811333195
(LL)-0120-2776171
The Supreme Court used terms like “blunders committed” and “bungling up” to describe the goings-on in the the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), the government’s ultra-secretive technical intelligence wing under the court’s scanner following allegations of corruption and financial irregularities.
A Bench of Justices H L Dattu and C K Prasad said in ab open court on Monday that the government has filed its third and latest status report. The hearing was based on a PIL filed by V K Mittal, a scientist who had pioneered the formation of the NTRO but later pulled out after being “disgusted” by the agency’s functioning.
Referring to the status report filed in a sealed cover by Additional Solicitor General Harin Raval, the SC informed Mittal’s lawyer, Jayant Bhushan, that “some progress has been made and they are seriously considering some inquiries and even termination of some officers after consulting the Prime Minister’s Office”.
“So far three reports have been filed. These reports go into the affairs of the NTRO… they have pointed blunders committed by these people and where they have committed the blunders. Steps are being taken, they say, and amounts lost should be adjusted,” the Bench observed.
“We will give them time till July 30. If by that time they don’t comply, we will make them comply. On July 30, we will give the matter a final look. Further hearing is not required. There has been bungling,” the court said.
The court had decided to keep an eye on the NTRO after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) exposed the alleged irregularities involving top NTRO bosses in a special audit report tagged “top secret”.
The apex court had issued notices to the Union of India through the Prime Minister’s Office, Central Vigilance Commission, NTRO through its chairman, and the CAG in August 2011.
Created in 2004 under the Prime Minister’s Office, the NTRO essentially deals with missile monitoring, satellite and airborne imagery, cyber patrolling and security, cyber offensive operations, communication support systems, as well as cryptology.
Mittal had approached the SC after the Delhi High Court on April 16, 2011 refused to take any action, leaving it to the CAG “to proceed in accordance with law”. In his petition, Mittal submitted that mere disciplinary proceedings against the errant officers of NTRO was not enough as the “misdeeds of those officers warrant initiation of criminal proceedings”.
Rs 30-cr project scrapped after technical panel found flaws in encryption system
The use of Chinese processors in an encryption system for ground mobile satellite communication terminals for use by the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) was considered a breach of security for which the project was scrapped on the directions of the National Security Council (NSC).
Following strong objections by the NSC, the “Sampark” network was shot down and is not being used by the NTRO, leading to the loss of Rs 30 crore (including capital and recurring expenditure) that was spent on purchasing the asset.
The wasteful expenditure incurred as a result of non-use of the system has come under the scanner of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) which is learnt to have classified it as among several other “suspect” NTRO acquisitions and procurements between 2007 and 2010. The CAG undertook a massive special audit of the NTRO after the head of the communications intelligence organisation blew with the whistle on several questionable procurements and other irregularities.
The audit findings have been submitted to the Supreme Court in a sealed envelope.
In late 2009, the NSC was apprised by the Scientific Analysis Group (SAG) within the Defence Research and Development Organisation that several ground mobile SATCOM terminals, which the NTRO had procured from the Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for positioning in various parts of the country for communication “during operations”, contained Chinese processors.
The sensitive issue came to the notice of the NSC when the Indian Air Force, which procured the same encryption system from BEL the same year, sought to have it cleared by the SAG. On further examination, it was found by SAG scientists that the encryption system contained Chinese processors which, it was suspected, could potentially compromise all special operations within the country.
An encryption system is an essential feature in SATCOM terminals as they help in protecting transmission of and securing sensitive communication which could otherwise be intercepted. The NTRO procured “bulk encryption systems” in early 2009 as part of a project that was called “Sampark”.
According to sources in the country’s security establishment, senior NTRO officials procured the systems, worth Rs 30 crore, without taking due clearance from the SAG which is the government’s sole certifying authority for such hi-tech and sensitive equipment which the security agencies, including the Intelligence Bureau, use for operations.
The encryption system was used by the NTRO for at least six months during which time intelligence information was transmitted without clearance from the authorities concerned.
SUNDAY, 18 MARCH 2012 00:27 J GOPIKRISHNAN | NEW DELHI
While the Prime Minister’s Office and the National Security Advisor are trying to hush up the wrongdoings by powerful technical intelligence agency, NTRO, by not tabling the CAG report in Parliament, the CAG response to an RTI query confirms blatant violations in purchase and recruitments in the sensitive organisation.
The CAG submitted its report to the President in mid-February 2011. As per tradition, this should have been tabled in Parliament in the next session. But the Government has not mustered the courage to table it even after more than a year.
The Government may attract breach of privilege notices from parliamentarians as it is going to submit the report to the Supreme Court on March 19. All the CAG reports are first placed in Parliament, which makes it public.
This will be the first time the Government will bypass Parliament and submit a CAG report to the Supreme Court. The SC had ordered for production of the controversial CAG report in a sealed cover on a petition filed by former joint secretary of National Technical Research Organisation VK Mittal.
“We have noticed lack of transparency and non-compliance of rules and procedures in procurement of systems/stores/equipment and deficient procurement management resulting in cases of excess payment/wasteful expenditure/loss to exchequer,” said the CAG’s office in the RTI reply sought by whistleblower VK Mittal.
“We have noticed cases of appointment of ineligible candidates and lack of transparency in recruitment of regular employees also in NTRO…. We have noticed lack of transparency in appointment of contractual employees… We have noticed instances of misuse of official position,” added CAG’s office.
CAG decision to audit on NTRO affairs in December 2009 was vehemently objected by then National Security Advisor MK Naryanan and later overruled by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. NTRO, which was formed after the Kargil war, works under NSA who reports to the Prime Minister.
The CAG submitted its performance audit on the NTRO, the first such audit report on an intelligence organisation in mid-February 2011. The report, according to sources, exposed the style of functioning and rampant corruption in secret service organisation, nepotism and siphoning money in the name of national security. The findings of the CAG were pointing directly towards the “arbitrary decisions” of then NSA and higher officials in the PMO, said sources.
Among the major findings, the blatant violation of UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) purchases by manipulating the decisions of Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). The CAG report, a copy of which is also with National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon over the past one year, has indicted former NTRO Chairman KVSS Prasad Rao and its Advisor MS Vijayaraghavan for misdeeds in several purchases.
The CAG’s Special Audit on Performance and Finance of NTRO has revealed that the agency, in a bid to favour the Israeli vendors, never informed the CCS on adding extra cost of Rs 150 crore. The CCS sanctioned Rs 300 crore for purchase and NTRO manipulated the accounting procedures and hiked the purchase amount to Rs 450 crore.
More over CAG found that the entire such purchase to favour the Israeli vendor lead to inferior quality and the entire UAVs are still non-operational.
The CAG in its report on the functioning of NTRO found that as many as 143 posts in the sensitive organisation were filled not according the procedures and observed severe nepotism in such postings. The CAG decided to audit when Mittal, who quit from the organisation and complained on illegalities.
After Government hushed up the CAG report by not tabling before Parliament, he approached Supreme Court through noted lawyer Prashant Bhushan. In a recent hearing, Justices HL Dattu and CK Prasad directed Solicitor General Rohinton Nariman to submit the controversial CAG report on March 19 in a sealed cover. Several legal experts point out that non-tabling of CAG report before Parliament and presenting it in a sealed cover before court may invite breach of privilege by Parliamentarians.
Centre submits action taken report on NTRO scam to SC
TNN Mar 20, 2012, 02.41AM IST
NEW DELHI: The Union government on Monday submitted in sealed cover to the Supreme Court an action taken report (ATR) on the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) findings about alleged irregularities in purchase of intelligence equipment by the National Technical Research Organization (NTRO).
Additional solicitor general Harin Raval submitted the ATR. Adjourning the matter to April 9, a bench of Justices H L Dattu and C K Prasad said, “If we are convinced (after perusing the report) there is some positive steps taken, we will not go ahead with hearing of the case. But if we feel it is merely eyewash, we will then call upon those responsible.”
PIL petitioner V K Mittal had alleged that a major portion of the Rs 450-crore NTRO scam pertained to purchase of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from an Israeli firm allegedly at a very high price without the mandatory approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
NTRO, which was set up in 2004 and functions under the Prime Minister’s Office, has been entrusted with the task of missile monitoring, satellite and airborne imagery, cyber patrolling and security, cyber offensive operations and communication support systems, including cryptology.
It was on the complaint of Mittal, a former joint director who had also served in NTRO, that the PMO had ordered a probe into the scam. Later, the CAG was asked to look into the organization’s accounts. The government had alleged that Mittal wanted to head the NTRO and filed the PIL when he did not succeed.
Mittal’s petition stated that the independent body answerable only to the national security adviser was allotted about Rs 8,000 crore since 2005, but no book of accounts were maintained for the expenses.
Appeal to clean DRDO of corrupt and anti-national officials
The PMO also constituted a single-member inquiry panel under Kumar to look into the complaints of irregular appointments. Strangely, the complaints were marked to Kumar despite the fact that the supervisory role of the NTRO chairman was not above board.
