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Last Friday, the CBI informed the Central Vigilance Commission that its probe into the documents submitted by the CVC — as well as some accessed by the CBI — had substantiated allegations of Sibal’s links with key players in the oil and gas business.
Based on the CBI’s report which recommended registration of cases, the CVC yesterday rejected the Vigilance clearance for Sibal’s second term as the head of the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons.
Ruffled by the CVC’s disapproval, the Petroleum Ministry today rushed an apology to the Department of Personnel & Training seeking withdrawal of its earlier proposal to grant an ad-hoc extension to Sibal, sources said.
Sibal, who heads the deemed regulatory body for the upstream exploration sector, sent his resignation to Petroleum Secretary R S Pandey on Monday, sources said. He has not been attending office since that day.
Sources said the CBI has found evidence of Sibal’s alleged collusion with exploration firms in four of the five cases put before the investigative agency, the prominent ones being Comet Energy Solutions, Quest Petroleum and GX Technologies.
It found that the DGH rented an office in Noida which was owned by Comet Energy Solutions India (P) Ltd, a firm which bought a three-bedroom apartment in Mumbai for providing accommodation to Sibal’s daughter from April 2008 to August this year. It found that Comet Energy was owned by Manjula Sethi, whose husband Naresh Sethi owns almost all shares in Energy World Development Ltd of Hong Kong which has links with GX Technologies, a firm that was awarded a seismic survey contract by DGH in 2006.
Naresh Sethi also represented Weatherford Services and was a “facilitator” for Alcock McPhar Geotech India (P) Ltd, both global firms in the exploration service business.
Papers showed that Sibal’s official residence at Noida, which he vacated last weekend, is owned by J S Anand whose wife Mohinder Kaur Anand is a director in Quest Petroleum, a firm that was awarded an exploration block in November 2008 in a consortium.
Quest had no previous experience and was formed a couple of months before the bidding. The CBI investigation also substantiated CVC papers that Sibal’s daughters used the hospitality of Reliance Industries Ltd whose revised capital expenditure was approved in December 2006.
Petroleum Minister Murli Deora, who was earlier in favour of Sibal’s extension, today approved giving additional charge of the DGH to Oil India Ltd’s Director (Operations) S K Srivastava who was till recently Deputy Director General there. He will hold the charge for six months or until a new director is found, whichever is earlier, says the proposal that would be sent to DoPT.
Last Friday, Sibal sought premature retirement from his parent organization Oil India Ltd effective from that day, citing “personal unavoidable circumstances.” His lien from OIL to DGH ends on October 31, the last day of his current contract as DGH.
He turns 60 in January 2012 and was eligible for a little above two years of a second term had the CVC given vigilance clearance.
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Now since the charges have been established by CBI,Sibbal has put up his papers otherwise he was up for extension.Why he should be allowed to go scot free,his resignation should not be accepted till he is punished.But punishment to such influential persons is not easy to come by,afterall he has the backing of top most industrial house.CBI should confiscate all the property owned by him and his family.The least this govt should do is to change the rules for prosecution of these high officials should need no sanctions for intiating disciplinary action against them under corrupt practices.Enough is enough,the govt.is talking for this since it came to power in last election and now they should act.Anyhow a good message has gone down in the officialdom but this is because of very honest CVC and the rivalry between the Ambani brothers.All the companies who had been involved with him should be black listed in govt.records.This is a really a test case for UPA govt who talk of clean government.
It is too early to rejoice that atleast on top corrupt government functionary is caught. Just wait and see how the case takes twists and turns. If he was indeed involved in corrupt practices, it shall be stupid to think that he will be alone in such big game, so other powerfuls will do their best to pull covers on whole episode. When Raja can get clean chit from PM, so will Sibal from some one who matters. Just wait.
Sibal's going is an indication of price fixing. Its time the govt. reiewed the reliance price too. As going for 3 times the original capacity of gas production does not mean 3 times the expenditure. Sibal definite has not checked the figures so an independent international auditing body should reveiw this as the cost of power produced from gas will definitely be affected.
It would be important now to review the decisions taken by the DGH which have large financial implications, such as the goldplating of the capital expenditure figures for the Reliance gas fields.
It is well known that Mr.Sibal was posted as DGH Hydrocarbons to take care of elder Ambani and so was Minister after Mr Aiyer was thrown out for not returning favours done to Madam by elder Ambani.The whole ministry of Petroleum works as if it is the personal fiefdom of Mukesh and at whose behest is well known.had it not been CVC then this corrupt would have got another extention.Look at the temerity of MOPNG.First it sends extention proposal and when it gets kick then says sorry as if it was not aware of CBI raids at Sibals office.thanks CVC.The rot is from the top.If the top is dirty and corrupt then the whole system will be corrupt.This case is only an exception to the the rule that it is the corrupts who matter in India today.
It is commandable and interesting to note that CBI can follow orders in a short time.It is equally amusing to find that they have not solved the Bofors issue.
The new-found confidence reposed by voters in the Congress has a lot to do with the trust and faith of Indians in Dr. Manmohan Singh's capability and integrity. It's time he came out of the shadow of Mrs. Gandhi and imprinted his stamp on Indian politics and on history.Cleanliness in India's political class and bureaucracy can only come from the top. Since, as far as I know, Dr. Singh owes his ascendancy to the top only to Mrs. Gandhi, he has no favours to return. The more strict he gets on corruption, the Indian electorate will express their gratitude and appreciation with an even greater mandate.Indian businessmen and entrepreneurs have taken India to among the top economies of the world, but corruption at all levels compounded with an active underworld stymies our progress. Links between politicians and the underworld ties the hands of our police. A firm PM at the top can work wonders for India. Go for it, Dr. Singh!!
PM must be kidding when he asked CBI to "Go behind big fish". What about Sonia, Quattrochhi, Lalu, Pawar and others? Are they not big enough to go after or is it that the PM does not have guts or is he scared of losing his own job? Thank U PM for your sense of humor.
Gives rise to greed. IAS/IFS/IPS officers are all educated people but serving the most corrupt politicians of the world. Manmohan Singh should know that Ganges flows from Himalaya to Bay of Bengal and not vice versa. If has the courage to remove his corrupt colleagues CBI would not be required to any fish as there would be no fish big or small. But as long as the PM himself protects the corrupt what does he expect from CBI. Only lip service to nation knowing fully well that he himself is puppet in hands of Madam Sonia and Quattrochi.
Apolitical philosopher has said: All me are crooks, education makes one cleverer than the othe."
After PM gave diktat to CBI 'Go behind big fish' we are seeing the result. DoT and DG Hydrocarbons .. whats next...