Megha Engg Kickbacks Episode: NMDC, MECON babus under CBI lens

Hyderabad: Did the officials of NMDC and MECON insist that Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd pay bribes for the release of payments for pending invoices?

This is the angle that is now being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which has speeded up the probe. The investigating agency has booked a case against some employees of the Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd and the National Mining Development Corporation officials in connection with payments against invoices.

The FIR said that NMDC and MECON officials had received over Rs 78 lakh in bribes for payment of over Rs 174 crore against 73 invoices till December 2018 in connection with work related to the Jagdalpur integrated steel plant. The firm was awarded the project related to works of the intake well, pump house and cross-country pipeline at the integrated steel plant Jagdalpur.

Sources said that the CBI was investigating if there was any role of officials in misusing their powers in the clearance of the bills. Based on the outcome of the investigation, the officials will be grilled by the agency.

Meanwhile, the opposition parties allege that the probe was not taking place at fast pace and they suspect that this could be due to certain political considerations. But the probe agency says that they are strictly following the rules and procedures to unearth the truth.