Nagpur, Jul 4 (PTI) The CBI has booked an official and a private contractor for allegedly causing a loss of Rs 92.29 lakh to Airports Authority of India by manipulating records and compromising on the quality of civil works at Birsi Airport in Maharashtra’s Gondia district.
The case was registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation’s Anti-Corruption Branch in Nagpur against Sanjeev Kumar Singh, then Assistant General Manager (Engineering-Civil), AAI, Birsi Airport, and M/s Raisingh & Company of Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh.
The case has also been registered against unknown public servants and private individuals suspected of being part of the conspiracy, an official said.
According to the CBI, the case is related to the construction of the operational boundary at the extended portion of Runway 22 and the DVOR (Doppler VHF Omnidirectional Range) facility at Birsi Airport.
The contract was awarded to M/s Raisingh & Company on May 25, 2023, and the work was carried out between June 2023 and February 2024.
As per the agency, Singh, who was the overall civil in-charge of the project, allegedly conspired with the contractor to falsify measurement books, certify inflated quantities of work and approve payments for work that was either not executed properly or was outside the approved scope.
“The CBI also found that unapproved construction materials, including reinforcement steel and fly ash bricks, were allegedly used instead of the specified materials. Proper invoices for key materials such as cement and steel were also not maintained,” the official said.
The agency said although the actual value of the work was around Rs 3.50 crore, payments of Rs 4.65 crore were released based on false measurements.
After subsequent adjustments, the wrongful loss to AAI was calculated at Rs 92.29 lakh, which is recoverable from the contractor, it added.
The accused have been booked for criminal conspiracy, cheating, falsification of accounts as well as under provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act, the agency said in a statement. PTI COR BNM
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