GUWAHATI: In poll-bound Assam, the woes of the state’s ruling but now-depleted Congress have increased manifold after the names of party biggies, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and former minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, got entangled in the Louis Berger International Inc bribery scam.
Recently, the US Justice Department revealed that New Jersey-based consulting firm Louis Berger International Inc had paid Rs 6.1 crore as bribe to win contracts for two water projects in Guwahati and Goa.
The matter came to light on July 17 when the Louis Berger International Inc admitted to violation of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and agreed to pay $17.1 million criminal fine to resolve charges that it bribed officials in India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Kuwait to secure government contracts.
The Rs 1500-crore project in Guwahati is based on an MoU signed by India and Japan, and is being implemented under the guidelines of Japan International Cooperation Agency. A consortium of three companies, comprising Louis Burger, Japanese firm Nihon Psuido and Shah Technical Consultants, was awarded the Rs 78-crore consultancy in 2009-2010.
Sarma was the then Minister of Guwahati Development Department (GDD). As the executing agency, the GDD had awarded the contract to the consortium. The Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority, which functions under the GDD, is handling the project as the implementing agency.
The revelation about kickbacks gave the opposition parties, particularly BJP, enough firepower to go after the Congress, which has lost its ground significantly in the state over the past two years during which the BJP has emerged strong. They alleged the scam could not have taken place without the CM’s consent since it was he who had eventually cleared the files. On his part, Gogoi has tried to shift the blame on bête noire Sarma and the department officials.
“I am the CM. So, naturally the files of various departments would come to me for approval. But is it possible for a Chief Minister, or for that matter the Prime Minister, to go through each and every file? The Louis Burger files had come to me and I cleared them. Other than that, I don’t know anything about it,” he said last week.
“He (Sarma) was the then GDD Minister. Was it not his duty to check the details? Or else, what is the point in appointing ministers if the CM has to do everything?” Gogoi said.
The CM asserted he would quit if found involved. Gogoi said he could not be held responsible because he cleared the files. But Sarma, who had earlier made an abortive bid to unseat Gogoi, made light of the CM’s defence.
“The Constitutional experts would know it better if he could get away by saying what he said. I had put up the files to him and he approved. So, how can he say the minister was involved?” Sarma retorted.
The CID, which is currently probing the case, refused to comment as did the GDD officials. Earlier, while entrusting the probe to an Additional Chief Secretary, Gogoi had asserted he would get the CBI to probe the case if there was any merit in it. He has not recommended a CBI enquiry despite demands by the opposition which say the CID would not be able to function independently in the case.
“When a CM clears a file, he should know what he is clearing,” Bijoya Chakraborty, BJP Guwahati MP, said. There are reports the Centre has brought the Enforcement Directorate in and has written to the US to share names of those who received kickbacks.
The Louis Berger Scam