ACB nets engineer of closed Giral power plant for taking ₹35K bribe

Jaisalmer: A special team of Jodhpur Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday night arrested deputy chief engineer of government-run Giral Lignite Power Plant in Barmer taking a bribe of Rs 35,000 at his house. Notably, the Giral plant has been closed since 2016 after incurring a loss of around Rs 2000 crore.
Despite the shutdown, the personnel have been given leave and in such a situation every year bills of crores of rupees for salaries and maintenance are passed. The deputy chief engineer,identified as Ashok Parekh, demanded the bribe to pass the bill of the plant.
ACB ASP Durgsingh Rajpurohit said, "The deputy chief engineer Ashok Parekh of Giral Lignite Power Plant was arrested red handed for taking a bribe of Rs 35,000. His house and other places are being searched. The bureau headquarters got a complaint on the phone from Surya and Company-Barmer, who has been given the labour contract for 2022-23.”
He added, “The firm has provided 12 labourers from October 2022 including 6 fourth class and 6 sanitation personnel. The firm had given the bill of Rs 2.80 lakh for 6 fourth class employees from October 2022 to February 2023 to the deputy chief engineer but he stopped it. A bill of 6 sanitation staff is not being made and even the security deposit of Rs 1 lakh is not being returned to the contractor. The firm had met Parekh many times to clear the bills and to return the security deposit but he demanded a bribe of Rs 6,000 per staff which amounted to Rs 36,000 for 6 staff. The ACB team verified the complaint and arrested the engineer for taking a bribe of Rs 35,000."
The first unit of 125Mw of the plant started in February 2007. The other unit of 125Mw started in December 2008 after which from the first year the plant was in loss. In connivance with the government personnel and carelessness one unit closed in 2014 and the other closed in 2016. The loss of the plant increased to Rs 2000 crore. Every year Rs 232 crore is being paid to the bank for the loan taken. The government plant was to be given to a private company but did not get buyers. Just 5kms away from the Giral plant in 2009 Rajwest plant started which is earning crores of rupees every year.