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UPA a Bundle of Scams Published by Publication cell Bharatiya Janata Party – Karnataka
No of copies – 2000 Price ; Rs 20 Printed at - Rashtrothanan Mudranalaya
WE ACKNOWLEDGE Sri Harsha perla Smt Susheela hegde Sri Satya Shankar Sri Yashavantha Rao & Sri Manju, Hosadigantha Sri Ramgoutham.
Foreword before we forward. . . .
The People of the country give mandate to parties for good Governance.
The congress seems to have forgotten this aspect of governance and emptying the treasury of the country by various scams which are plaguing our country. In the last 8 years the country has witnessed various scams numbering to more than 100. UPA govt has scored a century of scams and still not got enough. There is no dept left which is free from scams. The submarine scam, the helicopter scam, the farmer loan waiver scam, the Adarsha society scam, the public distribution scam, Arms scams, CAG……etc. scams are in every walk of life. This is the governance of by congress. Smt. Sonia Gandhi’s Son-In-Law Robert Wadra, The Prime minister, most CMs of cong ruled states, union ministers, Congress leaders and their relatives have been named in the reports and findings. Many CMs have been resigned and some have been sent to jail. Some of them are out on bail. Congress Leaders have not only erected a scam record but also the huge money involved in scams is also a record, 2G spectrum scam 1,70,00,000/Cr Kargil - War heroes housing society scam 1,85,00,000/- Cr. This is a record for any scams from independence. If the amount involved in these scams would be distributed among the population of the country each person would get Rs 1,500/-. The Country is economic status is in tatters. Inflation and price rise is on the high, our head is hung in shame due to these scams. Congress is not making up its mind to solve the various problems the country. It is now up to the citizens of our great nation to open up and speak against the wrong doings of congress. There should be a clean government with good governance. We should organize our sleves and proactively fight against corruptions. This book is an attempt towards building a clean corruption free country. -Publication cell BJP, Karnataka
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cams are UPA government’s biggest achievement. The United Progressive Alliance has become the united scamsters’ association. Several UPA ministers are involved mega scams and super mega scams, cheating the nation to the tune of lakhs of crores of rupees. No wonder an estimation claims that the scam money under UPA rule is bigger than the GDP of some developed countries. In fact, the scams that happened between 2004 and 2012 read like a rule book of fraudsters. Some are so huge that the laymen will lose his way while counting the number of zeros in the loss figures arising out of them.
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You should also know how the UPA government did, and still does, its best to delay and derail the investigations into each of the scam that took place under its watch. The controlling key is the CBI or the Central Bureau of Investigation. Critics call it the Congress Bureau of Investigation.
Let us take a journey of UPA scams.
People are stunned at the audacity with which the ministers and their cronies flouted all rules in order to pocket windfall gains. Not surprisingly, UPA leaders kept claiming all the time that they did nothing wrong. For them, it is normal to loot taxpayers’ money and enrich themselves, their kin and cronies. But the common man is getting poorer and poorer at the same time. Now, fellow Indians, it is your duty to understand these scams and their impact on the people and economy.
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2013: Choppergate, the new Bofors
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he word “Bofors” strikes an instant chord with most Indians. The mega scam of 1980s had drowned Rajiv Gandi’s poll fortunes in the 1989 general elections. Now, we have got Bofors 2, another big scam in defence deal. This time, the deal involves not machine gun, but helicopters for VVIPs. Media call it choppergate.
revealed about who did the inquiry, or how it was done. The UPA government might have believed that it successfully pushed the matter under the carpet.
Choppergate is the latest feather in the UPA’s scam cap.
But, the scam resurfaced when Italian authorities arrested Giuseppe Orsi, the CEO of Finmeccanica, the manufacturer of AgustaWestland. He was charged for giving bribe to win the deal with India.
The news about bribe in the Rs 3600 crore deal for Italy’s AgustaWestland Chopper deal surfaced in March 2012. The UPA government vehemently denied it. Defence Minister AK Antony even gave a clean chit to the deal, after an “internal” inquiry. Nothing was
The charge sheet named former IAF chief SP Tyagi and his three cousins as bribe takers. The FIR also identified European middlemen Carlo Gerosa, Christian Michel and Guido Haschke, who passed on the bribe money to Indian brokers.
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hell-bent on taking the choppergate probe on the path of the Bofors investigation, with a JPC clean chit. With invoking Section 8(c) of the RTI Act, accessing information on JPC proceedings can be barred. And the UPA can manipulate the outcome of JPC proceedings. Also it can shut any evidence-based discourse either in the media or Parliament. UPA government’s uncharacteristic hurry in constituting the JPC smacks of a conspiracy of cover up. Antony had nowhere to hide. Following a media outrage and Opposition parties’ hangama, he ordered a CBI inquiry. The CBI officials travelled to Italy and returned emptyhanded, complaining that Italians were not divulging the details of the case. At the same time, the UPA government constituted a joint parliamentary committee to probe the case. Opposition parties including BJP, JD(U), Trinamool Congress, CPI, TDP and AGP protested against the formation of the JPC. They cited how the JPC on Bofors scam found nothing wrong, even while Swiss investigation confirmed the kickbacks. Instead, they wanted a Supreme Court monitored CBI investigation. They also demanded for issuing a Letter Rogatory, which would help trace the money trail. But the UPA government seems to be
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The CBI has finally filed an FIR against 13 people, including former Air Chief Tyagi and his counsins. They are charged with criminal conspiracy, cheating and violation of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Now honest saint AK Anotny admits there was a kickback. He says, “Someone has made money”. But who is that someone? Will the investigation unearth the truth and catch the real beneficiaries? Or, will it end up in yet another great cover up, nailing the arrows, while letting off the hands behind them? A quick view of the scam Ministry of Defence signs the contract with Finmeccanica in 2010. The deal is to buy 12 AgustaWestland helicopters for VVIPs
The deal is worth Rs 3,600 In March 2012, allegations about kickbacks surface in the media
his three cousins appear in the charge sheet UPA government constitutes a JPC
An internal inquiry by the MoD finds no irregularities in the deal
Opposition parties oppose JPC, instead they want an SC-monitored CBI probe
In February 2013, Italian authorities arrest Giuseppe Orsi, CEO of Finmeccanica Orsi faces charges of giving bribe to clinch the deal with Indian governmet
The CBI files FIR against 13 people
The names of the then Air Chief and
Former Air Chief SP Tyagi and his three cousins are named in the FIR Defence Minister AK Antony admits that there was a kickback.
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2012: Coalgate paints the UPA Govt with jet black colour I
f people thought no scam could be bigger than 2G scam, they were wrong. There came in a coal block scam. On the pretext of augmenting electricity generation, the UPA government allotted coal blocks to private players, across the country, for free. It paved the way for the biggest scam worth Rs 1.85 lakh crore. The coal blocks were allotted between 2004 and 2011. The allotments were made without calling for competitive bids, and by flouting all rules. About 178 companies received allotment of blocks with a total reserve capacity of 44 billion tonnes of coal. That is 60% more than India’s annual demand! The allotments were riddled with lapses. Many beneficiary firms were not eligible for the allotment. Some others got allotment based on false representation Some firms even did not exist, except
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on paper. Did these companies help improve electricity situation in the country? Not at all. On the contrary, several lucky beneficiaries, who got the blocks for literally nothing, sold them off and received windfall gains. The CAG condemned the government for not auctioning the blocks. It estimated the loss caused to the exchequer by this scam as Rs 1.85 lakh crore; it is more than the 2G sale loss. The media called it the mother of all scams. The Economic Times has put out this graphic to tell the tale. What does the coalgate imply? Massive loss to the exchequer Windfall gain to private entities and Plundering of a national resource Who is responsible?
Obviously, the UPA government. More accurately, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. He was heading the coal ministry between 2006 and 2009. The government allotted 150 blocks for captive use between 2005 and 2009. But Manmohan Singh sought to put the blame on opposition-ruled state governments. He said since these governments opposed auctioning, the selection of beneficiaries were selected by a panel. But did the state governments tell the coal ministry to make allotment to fake companies and ineligible firms? Then the Congress said CAG’s method of calculating the loss was flawed. The grand old party also questioned CAG’s right to comment on policy matters.
On March 12, the CBI told the Supreme Court that there were arbitrary allotments without scrutiny during UPA-I tenure. It said coal block allocation during 2006-09 (under Manmohan Singh) was done without verifying the credentials of companies. It said companies misrepresented facts about themselves, but coal ministry gave no rationale in allotting coal blocks to them. The government representative Attorney General G E Vahanvati rejected CBI’s argument and said the CBI is not the final word. This prompted the SC to lash out at him, and caution the CBI director against succumbing to political influence. Will the CBI heed the SC and nail the guilty? Is not it too much to expect from a CBI under UPA government?
What CBI is doing?
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Vadra land scam
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n February this year, Firstpost.com published an article under the title, “There isn’t enough land on earth for Vadra....”. The article was a response to the land-buying spree of Robert Vadra, Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law, since 2008. In October 2012, Arvind Kejriwal accused Vadra of taking an interest-free loan of 65 crores and heavy bargains on land from DLF Limited in exchange for political favors. Vadra wrote on his Facebook page “Mango people in a banana republic” that was later deleted. There were huge discrepancies of balance-sheets of Vadra-owned companies. The book showed a company received an overdraft of 7.94 crores from Corporation Bank. But Corporation Bank denied ever providing an overdraft facility to that amount. Vadra allegedly purchased more than 75 acres of land in the village Hasanpur of District Palwal in Haryana initially allot-
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ted to Scheduled caste persons in 1981 by the Haryana Government. Following the abnormalities in the land row, senior IAS officer and the then Director General, Consolidation of Holdings – Haryana Ashok Khemka ordered to cancel about 3.531 acres of land holdings in Shikhopur village, Manesar, Gurgaon, by various companies associated with Vadra and its subsequent sale to DLF. Khemka got transferred as the DG – Haryana Seed Development Corporation. Vadra also bought 20 plots
measuring over 770 hectares in Bikaner, months after the Ashok Gehlot government assumed power in the state in 2008. However, the land price appreciated 40 times in three years, after the government announced solar projects under the Jawahar Lal Nehru National Solar Mission, and other projects in the region. Vadra’s companies sold off part of land to a Spanish solar power company. Bought at the rate of around Rs 40,000/ bigha, but sold at Rs 8 lakh/bigha. Did Vadra was given information about the future projects? What was the source of Vadra’s funds to buy such huge tracts of lands? No answer to these questions. Interestingly, the brother of Haryana Congress leader Lalit Nagar is the common link between Vadra’s land deals in
Haryana and Rajasthan. He has executed all lands deals on behalf of Vadra and his firms.
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2011: Adarsh Scam: Merry making at Kargil martyrs’ cost I t was supposed to be a six storey building to house the families of Kargil martyrs. But politicians, babus and Army officers conspired to deny them the benefit.
Instead they converted it into a 31storeyed posh tower, and distributed the flats to themselves and their kin for ridiculously low prices. The Adarsh Housing Society is a sky scraper in Mumba’s upmarket Colaba area by the Indian Defence forces. Apart from cheating war widows, the conspirators built the building in violation of several rules. No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Army towards construction of the building in a sensitive zone. The MMRDA development plan modified through manipulation of records and misrepresentation of facts Politicians and army personnel who had nothing to do with the Kargil War were allotted flats in dirt cheap prices The scam took place over a period of ten years and involved several officers in key posts.
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The scam surfaced in the media in 2010. Trinamul Congress MP Ambika Banjerjee wrote to Defence Minister A K Antony asking how former Army chief Deepak Kapoor got a flat in the Adarsh society. The preliminary findings of the ministry’s probe identified a “criminal con-
spiracy” at the local level in Army and Defence Estates. The conspiracy was to give up the land that was in Army’s possession till 1999-200, in favour of the Housing Society.
Antony revealed in Parliament that Ashok Chavan is among the 13 people named by the CBI in scam. It was found that three of his relatives had flat in the society.
Apart from former Army chief General Deepak Kapoor, General N C Vij, former Navy Chief Admiral Madhavendra Singh too had flats in the society, built for families of Kargil martyrs.
Ashok Chavan resigned as chief minister.
After a media buzz, a CBI inquiry was ordered in November 2010. In March 2011 Defence Minister A. K.
Passing the buck In January 2011, Maharashtra government appointed a two-member judicial commission to investigate the scam. The Adarsh scam encompasses the tenures of three chief ministers of Maharashtra – Sushil Kumar Shinde, now Union Home Minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh, now no more, and Ashok Chavan, who had step down as CM. Shinde told the panel that the decision to allot government land and grant of additional Floor Space Index to the housing society was taken during the tenure of Vilasrao Deshmukh as the chief minister of Maharashtra. Vilasrao Deshmukh said the land was allotted after getting clearance from the Revenue Department, headed by Chavan. And After a two-year inquiry, the commission found: The land was not reserved for Kargil war veterans, widows and their relatives. The housing society did not have
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necessary environmental clearances. The building was constructed without Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance or nod from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest. Buildings up to 45 metres are permitted in the area, but Adarsh Housing Society went up to 100 metres. Not moved an inch The investigation was moving in a snail pace, and seemed to be going nowhere. There was a flood of petitions filed in Bombay High Court asking it to monitor CBI investigation. In February 2012, Bombay High Court pulled up the CBI for not arresting any of the accused in spite of having evidence The court also rapped the Enforcement Directorate for its failure to initiate any probe into the money laundering allegations in the scam.
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These are Bombay HC’s words: “It is unfortunate that ED has remained a mute spectator. There is a serious lapse on the agency’s part for not probing into money laundering offence. ED has not moved an inch. It reflects a sorry state of affairs. We are summoning the director as there has been no assistance from his department to the court.” After the HC rap, the CBI arrested eight people. MLC KL Gidwani, Maharashtra government bureaucrat Pradeep Vyas, Major General (Retd) TK Kaul, Major General (Retd) AR Kumar, Brigadier (Retd) MM Wanchoo, a retired defence estates officer RC Thakur and former Deputy Secretary in the Urban Department PV Deshmukh. Ashok Chavan is never arrested, though an accused in the case! That speaks volumes about the investigation.
2010: Commonwealth Games: The hallmark of shame I f other big ticket scams under UPA government caused outrage within the country, the Commonwealth Games scam attracted international attention. The UPA government turned the prestigious games into a hallmark of shame.
Even before the start of the games, news about huge irregularities in giving away contracts to build the game village and buy equipments hit Indian media. The news reverberated strongly in the participating country immediately. There were speculations about compromised quality of sports facilities. As a result many star athletes from many countries, including Australia and England, boycotted the Games.
The Central Vigilance Commission found: Discrepancies in tenders like payment to non-existent parties Delays in execution of contracts Over-inflated price and bungling in purchase of equipments. According to the CAG, the estimated loss due to the irregularities was Rs 70,000 crore. The UPA government tried to protect Congress leader and Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi, as usual. But in face of overwhelming evidence against his involvement, he was arrested and sent to Tihar jail. Opposition parties alleged that Kalma-
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infrastructure for the Games. The government of India and Delhi gave many questionable concessions to DLF arguably under influence of Robert Vadra who received many hundreds of crores as bribes disguised as loans from DLF. Predictable delay
di was only the face, but scam money reached the higher ups. The Congress leadership dropped Suresh Kalmadi as secretary of its Parliamentary Party, let him continue as the president of Indian Olympic Association. Vadra link There were allegations that Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra has links to Commonwealth games scam. DLF was a major contractor of the Commonwealth games held in India 2010. DLF secured contracts at an inflated rate and constructed sub standard
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As expected, the CBI is investigating the case taking its sweet time. It arrested Suresh Kalmadi and few others after six months of the game and framed charges against them after over two years in February 2013. And that is in only one case of misappropriation for “illegally” awarding a contract to install Timing, Scoring and Results (TSR) system to Swiss Timing at inflated rates. The deal caused a loss of over Rs 90 crore to the exchequer, the charges said. If this is the case, how will the investigation help recover the loss of Rs 70,000 crore, as estimated by the CAG?
2009: 2G Scam, a record breaker The licences were issued on the “firstcome-first-serve” basis, but various rules were flouted in the process. Recommendations of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) too were ignored. And the price was based on the 2001 price. The allocation process involved favouritism. Companies without prior experience in the industry, including those just floated ones got allocation.
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s 1,76,000 crore. When the media flashed it as the loss caused by the scam in 2G spectrum sale, we, the people of India, were totally lost. We could not count the number of zeros in the loss figure. It was so huge. It was the biggest scam in terms of the money made by the people involved in the scam, and the loss caused to the exchequer in the history of India, but only until taken over by Coalgate. Time magazine had listed the scam at number two on their “Top 10 Abuses of Power” list, only behind the Watergate scandal of the US. 2G means second-generation wireless telephone technology. In 2008, the UPA government issued 2G licences to private telecom companies at throw away prices.
Telecom minister A. Raja manipulated the rules in the first-come-first-served policy. Companies were given just a few hours to provide their Letters of Intent and cheques. Those who were tipped off by Raja were ready with their cheques and other documents, and thus got the allocation. The cellular scene in 2008 was very different from that of 2001. There was a high demand for wireless communication systems. The mobile subscriber base had reached 350 million in 2008 from 4 million in 2001. Later, many companies sold part or full of their allocation of spectrum, received in dirt cheap prices, making huge profits. For example Swan Telecom sold the 45% of the stake to UAE-based company Etisalat at a huge profit of Rs.2,700 crore. And Unitech
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defending A Raja. But the CAG report exposed the enormity of the scam. Apart from windfall gain to private players, corruption angles also emerged.For example, Swan Telecom sent Rs 214 crore Kalaignar TV channel in Chennai, which was owned by DMK MP and Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi and her mother. Zero loss theory When the scam was broken, the government kept denying that there were any irregularities or loss. Wireless sold their 60% stake at a profit of Rs.4,600 crore approximately to Norway-based company Telenor. The Department of Telecom earned a sum of Rs.10,772 crore only. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) reported in 2010 that the earning should have been Rs 1.76 lakh more, if 2G spectrum had been auctioned in the prevailing market rates. A Raja from the DMK party was heading DoT. But the pricing policy and allocation of spectrum involves finance ministry, law ministry and TRAI as well. The scam came to light in 2008 when the Income Tax Department bumped upon it while secretly recording telephone conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia. But the UPA government tried hard to put under the carpet. Dr Manmohan Singh kept
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The new telecom minister Kapil Sibal, who took over from A Raja, claimed that there was a zero loss in the 2G allocation. His Zero Loss Theory became the butt of hilarious jokes in the coming days. Later the Supreme Court came down heavily, and cancelled 122 2G licences, all allocated in A Raja’ rule. Unholy nexus revealed The scam exposed an unholy nexus between politicians and bureaucrats, corporations, and media professionals who mediated between the politicians and the corporations. CBI probe The CBI began investigation into the scam in 2009. But it did nothing for 15 months. It was only when the Supreme
Court started monitoring the case suo motu that things started moving. Arrests galore: CBI arrested A Raja on 2 February 2011. He w as granted bail on 15 May 2012. CBI also arrested a number of top bureaucrats, corporate officials and company promoters. Later, Kanimozhi was arrested on 20 May 2011 and granted bail on 28 November 2011 after spending 188 days in judicial custody.
As usual, the CBI investigation is going on in at snail pace. How is it proceeding? Well in February, CBI senior prosecutor A.K. Singh was caught on camera while discussing the case with Unitech Managing Director Sanjay Chandra, an accused in the case. Singh was briefing Chandra about how the trial would be conducted and what questions would be posed to the witness. Any hope that the investigation will nail the guilty?
Here is a PTI graphic of the scam
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2010: Sweat equity for girlfriend scam T
hen foreign minister of state Shashi Taroor had strongly backed the Rendezvous Consortium World’s bid to win Kochi IPL team. He had claimed that there was no commercial interest to do so.
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ut in April 2010, it came to light that the Rendezvous Consortium had given free equity worth Rs 70 crore to Sunanda Pushkar, Taroor’s girlfriend and now wife. Then IPL chief Lalit Modi revealed the shareholders details of Kochi-IPL team’s
franchise owners. He also mentioned Rendezvous Sports World, a member of the Rendezvous Consortium, had received 25% free equity, of which Sunanda Pushkar received 18%, valued at nearly Rs 70 crore. Modi also tweeted that he had been asked by Taroor not to get into details of Pushkar. Following uproar in parliament and the media Taroor resigned from the ministry. And his said that she sould surrender the shares. The case is still under trial. However, it brought to light some shady dealings in the IPL teams. The names of Union Agriculture Minister Shard Pawar and Aviation Minister Praful Patel (both belonging to the NCP which is an alliance partner in the UPA) came up in the IPL scam.
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2008: Cash for votes scandal
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n 2008, the Left parties withdrew support to the UPA I government over the Indo-US nuclear deal. It led to a no confidence motion in parliament. But the government survived? How? It was alleged to have bribed MPs. Three BJP MPs waved bundles of cash in Lok Sabha. Instead of bribe givers, these MPs were put in jail. A parliamentary panel investigated into the scandal. The committee found no evidence of bribery
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2005: Oil-for-Food scam beneficiaries of the United Nations Oil-for-Food programme. They, along with Jagat Singh’s childhood friend Andaleeb Sehgal, were allegedly associated with a company called Hamdan Exports, which acted as an intermediary for illegal sales of oil to a Swiss firm named Masefield AG.
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PA’s saga of scams, perhaps, started with the Iraqi Oil-for Food scandal. A report by UN investigator Paul Volcker, released in October 2005, revealed that former external affairs minister Natwar Singh and his son Jagat Singh were non-contractual
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Masefield had to pay commissions, partly to Saddam Hussein’s regime and partly to Natwar Singh and others. Anil Mathrani, then Indian envoy to Croatia, and a close aide of Natwar Singh alleged that the minister had used his official visit to Iraq to get oil coupons from Saddam’s regime.As the controversy boiled over, Natwar Singh stepped down from the cabinet.
2005: Scorpene submarine scam
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he Scorpene deal scam involves Rs. 500 crore bribe, alleged to have been paid to government decision makers by Thales, the makers of the Scorpene submarine. The amount was channelled via middlemen, such as Abhishek Verma and Ravi Shankaran, a relative of the then chief of navy staff Arun Prakash. Both were accused in the Navy War Room spy scandal.
In February 2006, the CBI for initiated criminal proceedings against the naval officers and civilians allegedly involved. After preliminary investigations, the CBI told the Delhi High Court that it found no evidence of kickback in the submarine deal.
In October 2005, India and France signed a deal worth Rs 16,000-crore for Scorpene submarines.
In 2007, Prashant Bhushan of the Centre for Public Interest Litigation filed a petition with the Delhi High Court to investigate whether there had been kickbacks in the Scorpene submarine deal.
Abhishek Verma was alleged to have sent an e-mail to the French manufacturer of the submarine demanding, on behalf of the Congress, four percent commission to broker the deal.
The High Court took a strong line with the investigating agency, saying “We feel dissatisfied with what you’ve done so far. If you’ve tried to shield someone, then we will come down very heavily on you”.
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Telgi scam T
he tentacles of the fake stamp and stamp paper scam, better known as the Telgi scam, has penetrated 12 states and is estimated at a whopping Rs 30,000 crore. Between 1992 and 2002, 12 cases were registered against Telgi relating to counterfeit stamps in Maharashtra alone and 15 cases in other parts of the country. The law caught up with Telgi in 2001. The Karnataka Police, who were tracing a stamp paper fraud, found that the evidence led to Telgi. They caught him in Bangalore. Even in jail, Telgi is reported to have continued his operations. In 2002, the Pune Police seized a car carrying fake stamp papers in Bund Garden and once again all evidence led to Telgi. The investigations following this seizure unravelled an elaborate network of fraud spanning the entire country. Telgi clearly had a lot of support from other departments and institutions of government that are responsible for the production and sale of high security stamps. The Jaiswal Report that investigated the scam has raised several questions. But no has been initiated on the wider issues raised in the report. Telgi cited NCP president and UPA minister Sharad Pawar’s name during a narcoanalysis. He also took the name of
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another NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, who was Maharashtra deputy chief minister. The narcoanalysis video was widely shown on TV channels. But no action was initiated against these two leaders. In January 2006, almost 11 years after the first case against Telgi was registered, special CBI court pronounced the scamster guilty on seven counts: criminal conspiracy, counterfeiting government stamps and cheating, among others. In January 2006, Telgi and several of his associates were sentenced to 30 years’ rigorous imprisonment. In June 2007, Telgi was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for 13 years for another aspect of the scandal. He was also fined Rs 1 crore.
Maharashtra Irrigation scam M
aharashtra Irrigation Scam was a scam which involved financial irregularities of Rs 35000 crore. In 2009, 32 irrigation projects worth Rs 20,000 – Rs 25,000 crore were cleared by the then irrigation minister of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar, who is the nephew of Sharad Pawar. It was alleged that he cleared them without going through the procedures. Later, the cost of 38 projects in Vidrbha was increased by 300% between June and August. Vijay Pandhare, the Chief Engineer of the Water Resources Department and a member of the state level technical advisory committee wrote to the chief minister and the governor alleging irregularities and cost inflation in irrigation projects.
projects were a total waste. And 99 per cent of the total 227 projects were not working and 90 per cent never began functioning. Pandhare criticised the government for playing with people’s lives. A September 2012 Mumbai Mirror cover story talks about alleged misappropriation of funds to the tune of Rs 70000 crore. The allegations were levelled by Pandhare and activist Anjali Damani. As the controversy heated up Ajit Pawar, who had become the deputy chief minister, had to resign. However, he was reinstated as the Deputy Chief Minister later.
Pandhare said in his letters that Rs 12,000 crore spent on lift irrigation
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MGNREG scam M
GNREGA is a UPA pet scheme aimed at giving employment to the rural poor. As per the NSS data of 2009-10, of the Rs 1,70,000 crore spent on MGNREGA, only a fifth reached the intended beneficiaries. In other words, about Rs 1,40,000 crore went to the non-poor. The scheme has helped nothing but corruption. According to Sanjay Dixit - a member of the Central Employment Guarantee Council, the size of NREGA scam in UP is worth over Rs.10, 000 crore.
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The scam includes payment of wages against fake job card holders and fake construction works; creating fictitious purchase invoices, payment to ghost firms against the procurement of various items including hybrid seeds, calendars and publicity material; purchase of instruments used by labourers for construction works and purchase of photo copy machines and computers.
A century of scams and scandals India has become a country of scams, especially under the UPA rule. Below are 100 scams and scandals that have surfaced in the recent years in the central government departments and states ruled by the Congress and its alliance partners.
1. Choppergate: Yet another feather, recently added to the UPA’s scam cap. The scam involves Rs 510 crore kickbacks in the Rs 3600 deal for Italy’s AgustaWestland helicopters. 2. Coalgate: UPA government allotted hundreds of coal blocks to private companies, without following proper procedures. It was ostensibly to help augment electricity generation. But instead, these companies made huge profit by selling off their allotment. CAG said that coal block allocation resulted in Rs 1.86 lakh crore loss. 3. Adarsh Housing Society scam: It was supposed to be a six storey building in Mumbai to house the families of Kargil martyrs. But politicians, babus and Army officers conspired to deny them the benefit. Instead they converted it into a 31-storeyed posh tower, and distributed the flats to themselves and their kin for ridiculously low prices. 4. CWG Scam: The UPA government turned the prestigious Commonwealth Ga mes into a hallmark of shame. Financial irregularities took place in a big way while awarding contracts, and buying sports equipments and other articles. According to the CAG, the estimated loss due to the irregularities was Rs 70,000 crore.
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5. 2G Spectrum Scam: The UPA government issued 2G licences to private telecom companies at throw away prices, based on the 2001 price. The allocation process involved favouritism. Companies without prior experience in the industry, including those just floated ones got allocation. Later, many companies sold part or full of their allocation of spectrum, received in dirt cheap prices, making huge profits. The CAG said, the loss from 2G scam is Rs 1,76,000. 6. Wakf Board Land Scam: The Karnataka State Minorities Commission in 2012 reported that 27,000 acres of the 54,000 land controlled by the Karnataka Wakf Board had either been misappropriated or allocated illegally. The scam allegedly runs into Rs 2 lakh crore, bigger than 2G scam. Union Minister Mallikarjun Kharge, MPs Dharam Singh and K Rehman Khan; MLAs R Roshan Baig, Tanveer Sait, NA Haris, Qamrul Islam; former union minister CK Jaffer Sharief are allegedly involved in the scam. 7. Karnataka Congress Flood Relief Fund Misuse Scam: The Congress in Karnataka was embroiled in a controversy over misuse of funds collected for relief operations in the flood-hit districts in North Karnataka. The Congress used a significant part of the fund collected on advertisement and its workers’ salaries. 8. Farm loan waiver scam: The 52,000 crore farm loan waiver scheme was credited for being one of the main reasons for the re-election of the UPA in 2009. However, the CAG found serious discrepancies in the implementation. While needy farmers were denied the benefit, banks, micro-financing institutes and ineligible farmers illegally benefitted from the scheme. 9.MGNREGA scam: MGNREGA is a UPA pet scheme aimed at giving employment to the rural poor. As per the NSS data of 2009-10, of the Rs 1,70,000 crore spent on MGNREGA, only a fifth reached the intended beneficiaries. In other words, about Rs 1,40,000 crore went to the non-poor. The scheme has helped nothing but corruption. 10. Sweat equity for girlfriend scam: The Sunanda Pushkar, the then girl friend and now wife of Union minister Shashi Tharoor received 18% free equity worth Rs 70 crore in the stake of Kochi IPL team. The formation of the team was actively supported by Tharoor. When the controversy erupted, Tharoor resigned as the minister of state in Foreign Affairs. 11. Cash-for-votes scandal: In 2008, the Left parties withdrew support to the
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UPA I government over the Indo-US nuclear deal. It led to a no confidence motion in parliament. But the government survived? How? It was alleged to have bribed MPs. Three BJP MPs waved bundles of cash in Lok Sabha. Instead of bribe givers, these MPs were put in jail. 12. Oil-for-Food scam: A UN report in 2005 revealed that former external affairs minister Natwar Singh and his son Jagat Singh were non-contractual beneficiaries of the United Nations Oil-for-Food programme. They were getting commission from a Swiss company which was buying Iraqi oil illegally. 13. Scorpene submarine scam: The Scorpene deal scam involves Rs. 500 crore bribe, alleged to have been paid to government decision makers by Thales, the makers of the Scorpene submarine. In 2007, the High Court told CBI, “We feel dissatisfied with what you’ve done so far. If you’ve tried to shield someone, then we will come down very heavily on you”. 14. Telgi scam: The fake stamp and stamp paper scam, better known as the Telgi scam, had spread over 12 states and was estimated at a whopping Rs 30,000 crore. Prime accused, who was later convicted by court, had cited the names of NCP president and UPA minister Sharad Pawar and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, during narco analysis. 15. Maharashtra Irrigation Scam: Maharashtra Irrigation scam allegedly involved financial irregularities of Rs 35000 crore. In 2009, 32 irrigation projects worth Rs 20,000 – Rs 25,000 crore were cleared by the then irrigation minister of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar, who is the nephew of Sharad Pawar. Later, the cost of 38 projects in Vidrbha was increased by 300%. It was alleged that 99 per cent of the total 227 projects were not working and 90 per cent never began functioning. 16. Vadra land deal scam: Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law and Priyanka Gandhi’s husband Robert Vadra went on a land buying spree in Congress-ruled states of Haryana and Rajasthan. He bought the land agricultural land and waste land at cheap rate, in violation of several rules, and then sold it off for a huge profit. Serious questions were asked about the source of fund for massive land buying. Vadra is accused of benefitting from privileged information (for which Rajat Gupta is in jail in the US) 17. ISRO Devas scam : Antrix Corporation (marketing arm of ISRO) signed a deal with Devas Multimedia in connection with S band transponders in 2005.
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(Most of the members of this Devas multimedia are ex – ISRO officials). According to the deal, Devas would get 90 % of the S band on lease for its digital audio broadcast services. Usually the S band transponders are used for strategic purposes and here it was leased to a private firm, that too for a song. The CAG found that the deal had caused a loss of Rs 2,00,000 crore to the government. The deal was cancelled only in 2011. 18. Delhi Airport Land Scam: The CAG said the deal entered between the Airports Authority of India and DIAL (Delhi International Airport Limited) for the lease of land resulted in a loss of Rs 1.63 lakh crore. 19. Highway projects scam: The World Bank’s Institutional Integrity Unit has pointed out at “fraudulent and corrupt” practices in national highway projects funded by it. It said contractors paid bribes and gifts, including gold coins, to “influence the actions” of officials and consultants of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). 20. Forex derivates scam: It is a scam with an estimated value of approximately Rs 25 lakh crore, involving 19 banks, which violated the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) guidelines to advise and sell forex derivatives to Indian exporters in 2008. These banks have been fined negligible amount between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 15 lakh by the RBI. 21. Service Tax and Central Excise Duty fraud: In March 2012, the CAG found that there were over 10,300 cases of fraud involving over Rs 19,159 crore in service tax and central excise duty during 2008-11. 22. Delhi surgical gloves procurement scam: Delhi government’s health department was involved in a scam related to the purchase of surgical gloves and other disposables for various hospitals at inflated rates from two private firms, causing a huge loss to the state exchequer. 23. Tatra scam: Tatra trucks were being sold to the Indian Army for prices 100 to 120 per cent higher than the factory price. Instead of directly getting the trucks, the deal was executed through a dubious route involving several companies belonging to the same person. Since 1986, the Army has bought over 7,000 of these trucks at hugely inflated cost. 24. Adhar card scam: In Andhra Pradesh, an enrolment agent had registered details of 30,000 people for Aadhaar card in a span of just six months, which
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would normally take two years. Later it was found that 800 cards, registered under the physically-disabled category were created with fake identities. Incidences of bogus Adhar card racket were reported from Pune, Ludhiana and other cities as well. About Rs 150,000 crore are allocated for the scheme, though the scheme is not yet legalized. 25. Hasan Ali black money controversy: Hasan Ali, a stud farm owner, was accused of having a Swiss bank account with 8 Billion Dollars in deposits. He allegedly stashed away billions into Swiss bank accounts with the help of the Kolkata based businessman, Kashinath Tapuria via hawala channel. It was suspected that many Congress leaders used Ali to hide their money. 26. Taj corridor scandal: UPA government is surviving on the outside support of Mayawati. And former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati is compelled to give support due to some CBI cases against her. Taj corridor case is one such case. Mayawati, as the chief minister, is alleged to have siphoned off Rs over 100 crore, allotted for upgrading tourist facilities near Taj Mahal. 27. Taj Expressway: In the Rs 2500 crore Taj Expressway road project Mayawati and her favourite bureaucrats allegedly got large chunks of prime land at various strategic locations along the route transferred in their names, during her rule. 28. Uttar Pradesh NRHM scam: Another big ticket scam under Mayawati’s rule in UP. Top politicians and bureaucrats are alleged to have siphoned off a massive sum estimated at 10,000 crore from the National Rural Health Mission, a central government program meant to improve health care delivery in rural areas 29. Uttar Pradesh food grain scam: Between 2002 and 2010, food grain worth 35000 crore, meant to be distributed amongst the poor through PDS and other welfare schemes for BPL card holders, was diverted to the open market. 30. Mega Power Projects Scam: The CAG has exposed the misappropriations and favors by the Ministry of Power in this project. Audit has estimated the financial benefit that will accrue to the Project Developer to Reliance Power Limited due to impact of the difference in tariff works out to Rs 29,033 crores. 31. Thorium scam: According to RTI Activists and The StatesMan newspaper, there was a massive scam in Thorium Mining, which could amount to Rs 48
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Lakh Crore. 32. Kinetic Finance Limited Scam: Banks lost about Rs 200 crore in this scam. The promoters of Kinetic Finance Limited borrowed Rs 145 crore from a consortium of banks led by SBI and another Rs 50 crore from Bank of Baroda & UTI Mutual Fund. After borrowing the funds were siphoned off and diverted to other business entities of the Kinetic Group. 33. Andhra Pradesh land scam: According to the CAG report, the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh illegally allocated land for different purposes, causing a loss of Rs, 1 lakh crore, running into several thousand crores of rupees between 2006 and 2011. 34. Maharashtra stamp duty scam: The Rs 640-crore scam allegedly involves a large-scale misappropriation in the contracts awarded for franking of stamps for payment of stamp duty. 35. Maharashtra land scam: The Congress-NCP government allotted cheap land to over 3,000 people without following due process. The names of former chief ministers Vilasrao Deshmukh, Narayan Rane and Chhagan Bhujbal figured in the scam. 36. MHADA repair scam: Rs100-crore scam concerning repairing tenders of cessed buildings, a Right to Information Act (RTI) query has revealed. Contractors try to grab the tenders by quoting prices as less as 80% to 90% below the estimated cost of repair. However, once they get the contract, they recover the deficit difference. 37. Ministry of External Affairs gift scam: Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna was caught in a scam pertaining to inflated bills in connection with the gifts purchased by him on his visit to Malaysia in May 2011. The gift articles were made of cheaper alloy, but shown as silver. 38. Flying Club fraud: The Central Vigilance Commission found that a majority of flying schools/clubs in India posed as registered societies, operating on no-profit no-loss basis, to avoid paying the government full fee for operations. Resultantly, the government has lost at least Rs 190 crore in revenue. 39. Andhra Pradesh liquor scam: Under the Congress government in Andhra, ministers and police officials took bribe to allow illegal wine shops to continue operating. Liquor was sold 30 to 40 percent more than MRP. The Anti-Corrup-
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tion Bureau identified 1000 corrupt officials in this regard. 40. Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association scam: The JKCA general secretary and chief administrative officer were allegedly pushing the BCCI funds into bogus bank accounts created in the name of the association. 41. Jammu and Kashmir PHE scam: The officials of J&K Government have fraudulently shown liabilities worth crores of rupees on account of restoration of works damaged by the floods in the Valley. In many cases claims were made where there were no damages. 42. Jammu and Kashmir recruitment scam: As many as 160 appointments in Bandipora Municipal Committee were made on the basis of political influence in 2012. 43. Jammu and Kashmir examgate: J&K Education Minister Peerzada Mohammed Sayeed was found helping his son clear the class X board exams in 2009. 44. Jammu and Kashmir dental scam: College authorities in the state-owned dental colleges purchased medical equipment at higher prices than they were quoted by the suppliers. 45. Haryana forest scam: The environment ministry uncovered large-scale embezzlement of central government funds and violation of Supreme Court orders in Haryana. Some senior state officials, including some in the chief minister’s office, and a state minister tried to hush up the case. 46. Girivan land scam: Girivan Project developers were found to have encroached upon 650 acres of agricultural and forest land for the project without obtaining proper permission, near Pune. 47. Pune land scam: Government officials exempted land in Pune from being acquired by the state under the the Pune Urban Land Ceiling (Regulation) Act (ULCRA). The land, which could have been used to house the poor, was “freed” on the basis of bogus ULCRA orders and utilized for “private use”. Bombay HC said, the scam could be bigger than 2G scam. 48. Toilet scam: Mayawati government’s Panchayat Raj government showed in 2012 that 1.71 crore toilets have been constructed in the past decade under Total Sanitation Campaign scheme in UP. But household census data revealed that only 55 lakh rural houses have toilets, a gap of 1.16 crore toilets.
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49. Uttar Pradesh stamp duty scam: This is a Rs 1,200-crore scam involving stamp duty evasion during Mayawati rule. Besides financial irregularities in the auction of 21 government sugar mills, the CAG report also revealed irregularities like under valuation and rigging of bidding process. 50. Uttar Pradesh horticulture scam: In 2011, a horticulture officer at the Directorate Horticulture and Food Preservation in Lucknow, revealed a commission of 30 50 per cent was being charged to provide facilities to people. 51. Uttar Pradesh palm tree plantation scam: The “palm tree plantation” scam worth over Rs 55 crore was unearthed in 2011. Between 2010 and 2011, over 37,000 palm trees were imported from Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh for the parks and monuments built in the name of Dalit icons in Lucknow and Noida. While 25,000 palm trees were planted in various parks and monuments in Lucknow, rest were planted in Noida. A tree costing Rs 5000 was purchased at Rs 25,000. 52. Uttar Pradesh seed scam: UP Seed Development Corporation runs 13 projects of the corporation for the benefit of the farmers. An RTI application in May 2012 revealed that officers looted all the money by showing fictitious names of beneficiaries on paper. They also mentioned agricultural land that never existed. Also more than two lakh quintal of seeds of wheat, supposed to be given to the farmers free of cost, was sold to black marketers. The loot continued for about eight years under Mayawati rule. 53. Uttar Pradesh elephant statue scam: The scams include large-scale financial bungling in installation of over 200 elephant statutes at Dalit memorials and in construction of Dalit monuments in UP under Mayawati rule. 54. Tax refund scam: The scam involves unauthorised issue of refund of income tax by misusing the user ID of retired officers. The CBI investigation found at least 1,100 cases of allegedly fraudulent refund checks issued, which resulted in the illegal withdrawal of more than Rs 6 crore in three months’ time. 55. BEML housing society scam: Office-bearers of the BEML Employees’ Housing Cooperative Society posed as farmers and claimed that they lost 100 acres of land during the formation of the Arkavathy Layout by the Bangalore Development Authority, and received compensatory plots in the layout that are estimated to be worth Rs. 500 crore.
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56. MSTC gold export scam: Metal and Scrap Trading Corporation chairman and managing director was involvedin in an alleged gold export scam worth Rs 464 crore in the public sector undertaking by accepting forged documents from exporters. 57. NTRO scam: The CAG report revealed a Rs 450-crore scam in the purchase of spyware by National Technical Research Organization (NTRO) in 2012. Later the investigation was monitored by the SC, and the government had to cancel several sub-contracts. 58. KG Basin Oil scam: The CAG reported that Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) had breached some terms of a production-sharing contract (PSC) with the government regarding KG Basin oil extraction, claiming more production cost to the tune of Rs 6,343. 59. Goa mining scam: The MB Shah Commission report had exposed a Rs 35,000 crore illegal mining scam under the watch of the Congress government, in which politicians, bureaucrats and mining companies were indicted. 60. Pune housing scam: In January 2011, a land scam surfaced from Pune involving high ranking Army officers, police personnel and civil servants. The high profile crowd grabbed houses in the Pune housing society coming up in the name of Kargil war heroes. 61. Pune land scam: Retired Lt Gen Thamburaj, and retired Defence Estate Officer SR Nayyar showed undue favors to Pune-based Kalpataru builders. The company was given 0.96 acres on the promise that it will build flats for Army officials. But it pulled out of the deal and later Thamburaj and Nayyar settled the matter out of court despite several court orders given in favor of the Army. 62. Kerala investment scam: A multi-city investment scam involving real estate developers and money-chain fraudsters surfaced in Kerala in 2011. The scam robbed lakhs of victims in the state and abroad off Rs 1,000 crore. 63. Mumbai Sales Tax fraud: Maharashtra Sales Tax department unearthed tax evasion of Rs 1,000 crore, involving 1,150 hawala dealer and 37,000 beneficiaries. 64. Maharashtra education scam: A whopping 1.4 lakh students were found to be bogus in the Nanded district in Maharashtra in 2011. The education scam estimated to be of Rs 1000 crore.
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65. Maharashtra PDS scam: An RTI query in 2011 revealed that under the Public Distribution System, as many as 42 lakh bogus ration cards had been issued. The bogus cards helped siphon off grains of over Rs 25000 crores. 66. Uttar Pradesh TET scam: The scam involves irregularities in the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET). The Secondary Education Board Director was arrested for indulging in malpractices in the online examination of TET in the state. He was accused of taking money from candidates. 67. Uttar Pradesh MGNREGA scam: According to Sanjay Dixit - a member of the Central Employment Guarantee Council, the size of NREGA scam in UP is worth over Rs72000 crore. The scam includes payment of wages against fake job card holders and fake construction works; creating fictitious purchase invoices, payment to ghost firms against the procurement of various items. 68. Orissa MGNREGA scam: In 2007, NGO Centre for Environment and Food Security, alleging large-scale corruption in the implementation of the programme for rural job under MGNREGA. Reports of CAG as well as of National Institute of Rural Development show misappropriation of funds allegedly by officials and functionaries of the implementation agencies, resulting in diversion of funds. 69. Rajasthan MGNREGA scam: The biggest scam in Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Scheme (MNREGS) took place in Rajasthan. Panchayat samities made payments of lakhs of rupees without a single work. The payments were made to panchayats members and their relatives. 70. Indian Air Force land scam: The land, allotted to the Air Force 27 years ago, was handed over to a private builder for construction of an upscale housing project at the site in Jodhpur. The land in the high security zone was not meant to be used for commercial purposes. 71. BL Kashyap – EPFO scam: One of India’s fastest-growing construction firms, BL Kashyap & Sons was allegedly involved in PF fraud. The EPFO asked it to fork out Rs 593 cr in PF dues and penalties. 72. Assam Education scam: The BR Ambedkar School in Guwahati, which apparently received Rs 4,01,450 for its students, actually does not exist, according to a CNN-IBN report. 73. Assam’s Hills Council scam: A probe by the Comptroller and Auditor General into allegations of irregularities committed by Assam’s North Cachar Hills
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Autonomous Council reveals a scam that allegedly exceed the Rs1,000 crore in 2010. 74. Pune ULC scam: It came to light in 2012 that builders in Pune had applied for building permission with the Pune Municipal Corporation on the basis of a forged Urban Land Ceiling Certificate (ULC) order. 75. Port Scam: The Belekeri port scam relates to 3.5 million tons of confiscated iron ore that was exported illegally from Belekeri port near Karwar in Karnataka. After Deputy Conservator of Forests R. Gokul seized the ore and the high court refused to permit it to be exported, a large part of it was surreptitiously exported from the port. Congress leader Hebbar’s name also figured in the Rs 60,000- crore scam. 76. Mid Day Meal Scam: In the Mainpuri district in UP, money allocated for mid-day-meal scheme was embezzled by an NGO, Society for Science & Environment Awareness, Research, Communication and Heritage — without any supply or work. Two district magistrates were arrested in the case. 77. Radia Tape scandal: Corporate and political lobbyist Niira Radia’s telephone conversations Taped by the Income Tax Department in 2008–09 revealed the unholy nexus senior journalists, politicians, and corporate houses. 78. Maderna-Bhanwari Devi scandal: Congress minister in Rajasthan government Mahipal Maderna was accused of being involved in a case relating to the disappearance of a nurse named Bhanwari Devi. Bhanwari. Investigations revealed that Maderna and Congress legislator Malkhan Singh hired criminals to kidnap the nurse as she was blackmailing both of them with a CD showing them in compromising positions with her. She was later killed. 79. LIC housing loan scam: In 2010, the CBI revealed that officers of various public sector banks and financial institutions received bribes from the private financial services company Money Matters, which acted as a mediator for corporate loans and other facilities from financial institutions. The bank officials sanctioned large-scale corporate loans to realty developers, overriding mandatory conditions for such approvals along with other irregularities. 80. Andhra Pradesh Emaar scam: In 2003, Dubai-based real estate giant Emaar Properties formed a joint venture with the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastruc-
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ture Corporation (APIIC), which is run by the government to build a high-end township on 535 acres in Gachibowli. In 2006, MGF, another Dubai-based infrastructure company, was brought into the partnership and APIIC’s stake was diluted to 6.5%. This resulted in Rs 2500 crore undue benefit to Emaar-MGF. 81. Indian Premier League scandal: Allegations about improprieties in bidding for teams and in negotiating television broadcast rights for the matches. The scandal cost Lalit Modi his IPL chief’s position. Also Union foreign minister of state Shashi Tharoor had to resign for influencing Kochi team bid, and a sweat equity to his girl friend. 82. MCI bribery scandal: Medical Council of India Ketan Desai and two others allegedly took a bribe of Rs 2 crore to grant recognition to a medical college in Punjab. 83. Madhu Koda mining scam: The Chief Minister of Jharkhand from 2006 to 2008, Madhu Koda, was arrested in the Rs 3,549.72 crore disproportionate assets scam. He was accused of taking huge bribes to award mining contracts to business groups during his tenure. 84. Goa Special Economic Zone (SEZ) scam: During the Congress rule multicrore SEZ land-scam took place, which was exposed by Manohar Parrikar now chief minister and then Leader of Opposition in the State Legislative Assembly. 85. Rice export scam: The Rs 2,500-crore rice export scam of 2008-09 took place during the UPA-I tenure. The scam involves private parties making disproportionately huge profits, while PSUs received only 1 to 1.5 percent in the export of non-Basmati rice to African countries. The commerce ministry, headed by Kamal Nath, had issued 16 licences to one family. 86. Orissa mining scam: Mining scam to the tune of Rs14,000 crore took place in Orissa during 2003-2009. More than dozen mining companies dug out excessive quantities of iron, chromite and manganese ores, flouting all rules, in connivance with officials of the Orissa Pollution Control Board, Indian Bureau of Mines, state mines department, forest department, district collector and Ministry of Environment and Forests. 87. Orissa paddy scam: Rice millers in Orissa minted money by carrying out fake transactions and in the process selling the highly subsidised Rs. 2 per kg
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PDS rice back to the government at Rs. 17 per kg. They Government officials were involved in the scam. 88. Sukhna land scam: The scam involved two top officers of the Indian army, Lt. Gen. Avadesh Prakash and Lt. Gen. Rath, who illegally facilitated a deal with realtor Dilip Agarwal’s Geetanjali Educational Trust to build an educational institute on a 70-acre plot adjacent to the Sukna military station in West Bengal. 89. Austral Coke scam: Income Tax Department has found bogus transactions worth Rs 1,000 crore by Austral Coke & Projects in 2009. The company was found guilty of fund diversion, manipulation of accounts and tax evasion by the company. 90. The Satyam scam: The Satyam Computer Services scandal of 2009 is one of the biggest corporate scandals in India. Chairman Ramalinga Raju used to cook up the balance sheet, and draw Rs 20 crore every month to pay13,000 non-existent employees. The scam is worth Rs 14,000 crore. 91. Army ration pilferage scam: Special rations meant for soldiers serving in Siachen Glaciers were sold in open market. The scam came to light in 2007. 92. Haryana Teachers’ recruitment scam: Former Haryana Chief Minister and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) supremo Om Prakash Chautala and his son Ajay Chautala are accused of illegally recruiting 3,206 junior basic teachers 12 years ago. The scam was worth Rs.150 crore. 93. Paazee Forex scam: Paazee Forex Trading Co in Tirupur was a fake finance company in Tirupur, Tamil Nadu. With agents appointed all over Tamil Nadu, the company collected nearly Rs 111 crore from depositors in the state. The agents would get 15% commission on every deposit while 10% commission would go to the depositor. Depositors were lured not only by the astronomical interest rates offered, but also the 10% commission that they received. 94. IPO scam: The scam involved manipulation of the primary market by financiers and market players by using fictitious or benaami demat accounts. While investigating the Yes Bank scam, Sebi found that certain entities had illegally obtained IPO shares reserved for retail applicants through thousands of benaami demat accounts. They then transferred the shares to financiers, who sold on the first day of listing, making windfall gains from the price difference between the IPO price and the listing price.
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95. State Bank of Saurashtra scam: The Rs 95 crore scam involves illegally withdrawing of money from currency chest over a period of seven months. Head cashier of the Bhavnagar branch of the bank was held for the fraud. 96. Navy War Room Spy Scandal: It involves a case of military espionage for commercial purposes. A number of documents stolen from the Navy war room were leaked to Thales, the maker of Scorpene submarines enabling them to clinch a Euro 3 Billion Submarine Deal with the Indian Navy in 2005. 97. Taj Co-operative Group Housing Scheme scam: The scam of Rs 4000 consists of fraudulently reviving a defunct housing society in Uttar Pradesh. Narayan Diwakar, the then registrar of co-operative society official, in connivance with five others, fraudulently and dishonestly revived Taj CGHS on the basis of bogus and fake documents with the sole intention to get land allotted from DDA at a cheaper rate in 2003. 98. Gegong Apang PDS scam: The scam was committed by Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Gegong Apang. The scam involves corruption in the 1000-crore public distribution system in the state in August 2010. It involved fraudulently passing of hill transport subsidy bills by Apang without the required financial oversight. 99. Sonia Travel & Medical Bill: It was alleged that Rs 1800 of tax payers’ money was spent on travel and medical treatment bills of AICC President Sonia Gandhi in August 2012. The details about her treatment, including the expenditure incurred, were kept secret. 100. Kerala ice cream parlour sex scandal: The case pertains to alleged use of an ice cream parlour in Kozhikode as a cover for luring teenage girls for sexual abuse. Kerala Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty, a senior Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader was allegedly involved in the case. It was alleged that powerful people were deliberately obstructing the investigation in order to protect themselves, relatives, or friends.
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Congress-UPA Governments Ministers and Leaders Involved in Scams NAMES SCAMS Sri A. Raja 2G Spectrums Smt Kanimozhi 2G Spectrums Sri Suresh Kalmodi Common Wealth games Sri Ashok Chanhan Adarsh Housing Society Scam Sri Vilas Rao Deshmukh Adarsh Housing Society Scam Sri Sushil Kumar Shinde Adarsh Housing Society Scam Sri Dayanidhi Masan 2G Spectrum Sri P Chidambaran 2G Spectrums Sri Kamalnath Rice Export Scam Smt Sheela Dixit Common Wealth games Sri Sharad Pawar Food Grains Export Scam & Price Rice Sri Kapil Sibal Telecom Scam Sri Murli Deora K G Basin Gas Sri Praful Patel Air India Plane Sri Veerappa Moily Kick Back Funds invested in Trust Sri Ashok Chouhan Adarsh Scam Sri Rehman Khan Wakf Scam Sri Salman Khrushid NGO Scam Smt Sonia Gandhi Karnataka Ticket Scam
Aftermath Jailed in Tihar released on Bail. Jailed and released on Bail. On Bail. Resigned as CM. Charged. Charged. Resigned as Union Minister. Charged. Charged. Charged. Charged. Charged. Named in Accounts Committee Findings. Named in Accounts Committee Findings. Charged. Resigned. Charged. Resigned. High Court has given notice.