Bhubaneswar, Nov 5 (IANS)
The state-run National Aluminium Company ltd (NALCO) has no record of the corruption charges some of its former chairmen and directors faced during last five years, according to a response to a RTI application.
Like any public sector enterprise, Nalco has a vigilance unit in place. Led by a chief vigilance officer, it is supposed to ensure probity and integrity in public administration.
"I had filed the RTI application Oct 3 to find out if the vigilance unit of the company is maintaining any such records (of corruption charges), but I am surprised they are not," Right to Information Activist Akhand told IANS.
He said the denial of information to him was an attempt to conceal corruption.
Akhand said in response to his query, the company secretary and Public information officer (PIO) of NALCO stated no such record was being maintained in the department.
"The information sought by the information seeker is very general in nature and as per the records available in the department, no such record is maintained in the department," stated K.N.Ravindra, the company PIO in his reply to Akhand.
"Compiling the same would disproportionately divert the resources of the company. Hence the information could not be provided," he wrote in the letter, a copy of which is in possession of IANS.
Akhand said that many of Nalco's former directors and chairman-cum-managing directors have faced serious corruption charges in the past.
The government terminated the services of A.K. Srivastava, who was holding the post of chairman-cum-managing director the company last year, after the Central Bureau of Investigation arrested him on charges of taking a bribe.
Similarly, B.L. Bagra, another director and chairman-cum-managing director-in-charge was allegedly removed from his post after his alleged involvement in a scam, the activist said.
"I have approached the higher appellate authority in the company. If I don't get the information, I will approach the Central Information Commission," he said.
The Bhubaneswar-headquartered NALCO is India's third largest aluminium maker.