VK Singh's bribe expose: Tatra, BEML slam allegations

New Delhi, Mar 30: With the Army Chief General VK Singh exposing the rampant corruption in the forces with his ballistic statements, the one that has suffered most damages is the Defence public sector unit Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML), and Tatra and Vectra Limited who is alleged to have pulled a few strings to acquire the Indian Army deal.

They also slammed the allegations that former Defence Intelligence Agency chief Lt Gen (retired) Tejinder Singh had offered Rs 14 crore bribe to VK Singh to clear an order of 600 Tara trucks that was of sub-standard quality.

BEML in their defence stated that they did not have a need to bribe since they were the only vendors for the said vehicles. BEML chairman and managing director VRS Natarajan has been quoted as saying that the public sector firm was the only defence manufacturer that was authorized to produce these vehicles with a license from Tatra and Vectra. So the need to offer bribe did not even arise.

Speaking at the four-day defence expo currently underway at Delhi's Pragati Maidan, Natarajan added, "We are the nominated nodal agency for the defence ministry to manufacture this class of trucks and supply to the army."

Backing the statement made by Natarajan for BEML, Tatra chief Ravi Rishi also said that they did not approach any government officer for orders since they had a contract directly with the BEML. BEML was given license by Tatra as the sole manufacturer of such trucks in India for the Army.

Rishi stated, "The truck is manufactured by BEML with licence from us. We only supply some spares and using some indigenous spares, BEML builds the truck. We do not sell the trucks directly to the army or supply it to the defence ministry. It is the job of BEML."

OneIndia News