The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has asked the CBI to probe alleged corruption by Nina Lath Gupta in the operations of National Film Development Corp (NFDC) during her tenure as its Managing Director. “The ministry earlier this month wrote to CBI for conducting a preliminary enquiry into the commercial irregularities which formed the basis for Gupta’s removal as the managing director of NFDC,” said sources. The immediate basis for CBI investigation, they said, would be the 2013-14 internal audit report following multiple complaints on irregularities as well as recent complaints of sub-contracting the bagged government contracts to a clutch of handpicked vendors. Gupta was sacked from government-owned NFDC on February 27 “with immediate effect” citing several irregularities and non-adherence to prescribed procedures. She was given three months’ salary in lieu of the notice period. Allegations levelled against her were release of advertisements to select private channels in excess of the prescribed 5 per cent limit, non-refund of 15 per cent commission to client ministry and charging ministries an additional fee over the actual expenses incurred in holding government events such as MODI (Making of Developed India) Festival and Khelo India. The Ministry also held her responsible for “non-adherence to the standard operating procedures required of a co-producer under the NFDC’s ‘Film production in various regional languages’ scheme”, and “non-adherence to the due process for utilising funds for restoring films”. However, Gupta re-joined NFDC last week after the Delhi High Court put a stay on ministry’s order on March 8 on her petition that the allegations were unfounded and the termination was “not preceded by any disciplinary action under the Conduct, Discipline and Appeal Rules”. The ministry subsequently moved the CBI for an investigation and plans to use the preliminary enquiry to get the stay vacated and remove Gupta from NFDC. “The letter to CBI seeking a criminal enquiry into the conduct of the former MD would serve as initiation of disciplinary proceedings against her,” the sources said. Interestingly, Gupta-led NFDC — in association with Haimark Films International — produced documentary film “In Pursuit of Truth” chronicling the five-decade history and accomplishments of the CBI for which Gupta got kudos from the then CBI Director Ranjit Sinha. Gupta, formerly an officer of the Indian Revenue Services, took charge of NFDC in April 2006 and has approximately seven years to retirement.
