THE NATIONAL Defence Academy (NDA) is conducting yet another inquiry — a third one this time — into the alleged irregularities and payment of kickbacks in the purchase of 2,100 units of Thin Client computers in 2010-11 for the cadets. The third inquiry is being conducted after the HQ Southern Command set aside the findings of the earlier inquiry citing inadequacies. The premier tri-services training institute of the country had in 2010-11 purchased over 2,100 Thin Clients (customised laptops) for its cadets. A woman officer of the Indian Navy, then posted at the academy, who was the whistleblower in the case, had gone around recording statements of those involved in the procurement of 2,100 Thin Clients within the NDA in 2010. The academy, based on her allegations, had constituted a Court of Inquiry (CoI) on April 11, 2011, which was the first inquiry in the case. The first CoI said the ‘alleged irregularities in the procurement, receipt, issue and accounting of IT stationery at MIS cell, including the receipt of any illegal considerations’, were pertaining to procurement of 2,100 laptops for NDA cadets and procurement of 155 desktops and printer cartridges for the academy. The CoI had recorded the statements of whistleblower along with those of the accused, a woman officer of Major rank, her husband, some other officers — and witnesses — a lower division clerk, a store keeper and representatives of private companies who supplied the said items to the NDA. The serious allegations investigated by the CoI involved waiving liquidated damage (LD) of Rs 20 lakh to a software giant despite a delay in the delivery of laptops by more than seven weeks. The whistleblower had also alleged on record that payments were made to a firm without the completion of the assigned work, which was to design an intranet website. The more serious allegations made by her involved payment of around Rs 50 lakh as a kickback. The CoI, presided over by an officer of Colonel rank, had also recorded statements pertaining to irregularities regarding procuring refilled printer cartridges in the NDA in 2010-11, when as per rules, used cartridges had to be destroyed. All the accused denied wrongdoings ‘on record’ and were eventually posted out. One officer posted at the NDA in the past said, “Like it happens many times. No one was found to have done it.” In July 2013, an RTI application filed by The Indian Express had revealed that the NDA never brought the CoI to its logical conclusion. The reply said the proceedings were never forwarded to the HQ, Integrated Defence Staff (IDS), under whose purview the NDA falls. While for some time, the case remained dormant. In November 2014, the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), registered a preliminary inquiry into the gross misconduct by the officials of the NDA and software major that had provided the computers. Between November 2014 and June 2015, the CBI completed its inquiry and submitted its report to the Southern Command. While the CBI recommended NDA to conduct its own inquiry again — they also advised a major penalty for the woman officer, now of Lieutenant Colonel rank and Minor Penalty, three other officers who were then posted with K, C and F squadrons of the NDA. Between January and April 2016, the NDA conducted its second inquiry into the same matter and submitted its report to the Southern Command in May 2016 for vetting and approval. In August 2016, the HQ Southern Command got back to the NDA raising doubts about the proceedings and asked the NDA to conduct the inquiry afresh. Replying to a query from The Indian Express the NDA responded, “A Court of Inquiry is being conducted to investigate the irregularities during the purchase of 2,100 Thin Client Computers in 2011. The present COI is a De Novo inquiry since the previous COI was aside on technical grounds.” The outcome of this third inquiry is expected in a few months, according to sources. An Army officer, who has worked with the NDA in the past, said, “This example of series of inquiries into one case shows that there is scope for reforms in procurement procedures and also in the mechanism of monitoring these purchases. Many times, these inquiries are conducted and cases are hushed up and actions are delayed. There should also be a mechanism in which the private supplier is also brought to books in case of irregularities.”
