Baalu targets CVO who didn’t toe his line

New Delhi, August 13 : Minister for Shipping, Road Transport & Highways T R Baalu has not always been on the best of terms with bureaucrats at the National Highways Authority of India.

While his differences with NHAI Chairmen have led to the ouster of three of them last year, the ministry now wants its vigilance officer out. It has written to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), asking for the removal of NHAI’s Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) R Mukundan, overruling the Central Vigilance Commisioner’s (CVC’s) recommendation for his tenure extension.

Mukundan is on his way out over a decision that is said to have earned him a pat on the back from the CVC. The ministry wants him out saying he has applied for positions in other PSUs and is not keen on staying on at NHAI.

At the heart of the issue that has the NHAI and the ministry in opposite camps is a national highway in Karnataka—a Rs 440-crore project under NHDP III to four-lane the NH 48 section between Hassan and Devanhalli (near the new airport) on Build Operate Transfer (BOT) basis.

There were two bids and while the ministry wanted the second bid opened, NHAI felt both should be opened and the one more beneficial to the authority be accepted—a view the CVO endorsed and the ministry did not.

Mukundan completed his three-year term as NHAI CVO on June 15 “The NHAI had asked for an extension of their CVO’s term. We also recommended an extension for him,” K Ramasubban, Secretary, CVC, told The Indian Express. So as the CVC recommended tenure extension for him, the ministry wrote to DoPT in May asking for his removal. The DoPT said Mukundan should continue till a final decision is taken by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.

Ads By Google

Message*	Maximum characters allowed

Name*		Email ID*
Subject*		Country*

TERMS OF USE:
The views, opinions and comments posted are your, and are not endorsed by this website. You shall be solely responsible for the comment posted here. The website reserves the right to delete, reject, or otherwise remove any views, opinions and comments posted or part thereof. You shall ensure that the comment is not inflammatory, abusive, derogatory, defamatory &/or obscene, or contain pornographic matter and/or does not constitute hate mail, or violate privacy of any person (s) or breach confidentiality or otherwise is illegal, immoral or contrary to public policy. Nor should it contain anything infringing copyright &/or intellectual property rights of any person(s).

I agree to the terms of use.

Mail this page