BHUBANESWAR: The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has alleged in a court filing that Adani Green's internal documents reveal significant kickbacks were made or promised to Odisha government officials. These payments were allegedly intended to influence Odisha's decision regarding a Power Supply Agreement (PSA) with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) for the procurement of 500 MW of power.
“According to Adani Green’s internal records, a payment equal to hundreds of thousands of dollars was paid or promised to govt officials in the Indian state of Odisha to cause Odisha to enter into a Power Supply Agreement with SECI for the purchase of 500 MW of power,” said the SEC complaint in US District Court, Eastern District of New York.
“Consistent with Adani Green’s internal records, SECI announced its first Power Supply Agreement (PSA) related to the Manufacturing Linked Projects in July 2021, pursuant to which the Grid Corporation of Odisha (Gridco) agreed to buy 500 MW of power capacity from SECI,” the complaint said.
According to Gridco’s annual report for the financial year 2022-23, the company executed two PSAs with SECI for a total of 400 MW of wind capacity and three Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs)/PSAs for 410 MW of solar capacity to meet future Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) targets. Additionally, in June 2023, Gridco executed another PSA with SECI for 600 MW of wind power capacity.
Despite multiple attempts, Gridco managing director Trilocan Panda could not be reached for comment as he did not respond to phone calls or messages.
Although the alleged corruption took place during the previous BJD administration, Prasanna Acharya, the current deputy opposition leader in the Odisha Assembly and a senior BJD member, called for a prompt and impartial investigation into the bribery allegations. He emphasized the need for appropriate action against those found responsible.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee’s former president, Sarat Pattanayak, supported party leader Rahul Gandhi's demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) investigation into the matter.
Rabi Behera, convenor of the Odisha State Power Consumers Mahasangha, suggested that an assembly committee should investigate the alleged bribery involving the Adani Group in Odisha.