NEW DELHI: Five senior officials of the BSNL have come under the CBI scanner for their alleged role in irregularities in awarding advertisement contracts worth `20 crore to private firms in 2008-09.
The irregularities took place when the Department of Telecom was headed by tainted former minister A Raja.
According to a CBI official, a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) would be registered soon to launch a probe into the malpractices. The agency took up the case based on a recommendation from the Central Vigilance Commission.
The commission had earlier conducted initial inquiry in the case and found evidences for criminal conspiracy committed by the BSNL officials in collusion with private parties.
The CVC inquiry had revealed that the BSNL board of directors appointed a non-official part-time director in September 2008. This director was later made chairman of the committee, constituted for empanelment of new marketing agencies for the PSU.
However, according to CVC, the appointment of part-time director was in violation of the norms as the PSU already had six full-time directors.
Inquiry also found evidence for manipulation committed by the committee’s chairman in doling out lucrative contracts to non- empanelled advertising agencies.