CPI demands CBI probe into SPMCIL affairs

Hyderabad, Oct 27: Vehemently opposing alleged attempts to privatise Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL), Communist Party of India National Assistant General Secretary S Sudhakar Reddy on Monday, Oct 27 demanded a CBI inquiry into calling tenders for 'favouring a particular private company' and immediate stopping of the tender process pending probe.

Addressing the press here, Mr Reddy also objected to the move to award Rs 1,500 crore contract to an IT company for making passports.

At a time when the SPMCIL had already invested Rs 500 crore for purchasing ''blanking lines, polishing lines, coining presses and packaging line,'' why was the tender called to favour the ''Mittal Appliances?'' he questioned.

''I demand an inquiry by the CBI into the whole affair, including calling of tender to favour a particular private company, and to stop tender process till enquiry is completed,'' Mr Reddy said.

While all the mints had invested crores of rupees to get spares from Germany for manufacturing bimetallic coin blanks, surprisingly till now these items were not assembled.

''It is astonishing to know that 25 million pieces of Rs 10 are yet to be released to Indian public and it is learnt that those blocks have become black or oxidised due to improper material composition.

For this Indian Government Mint, Noida, is procuring a polishing line to clean the coin blanks from Germany. It is really shocking to know that Noida Mint is rewriting the manufacturing process of coins to save the Mittal Appliances, Indore,'' he said.

UNI