Overburden is the layer of earth which is to be removed to access ore deposits at open cast mines. (FILE)
The CBI has charged senior officers of the public sector undertaking Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) for allegedly siphoning off Rs 22.16 crore through illegal payments routed through a Dhanbad-based company, officials said on Friday.
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and BCCL officials conducted a surprise check in Dhanbad's Bastacolla in March last year to find that the accused officials showed excess removal of "overburden".
In the mining lingo, overburden is the layer of earth, including soil and rock, which is to be removed to access ore deposits at open cast mines.
It was found that the accused officials allegedly made false entries of the overburden to the tune of 35.30 lakh cubic metre for which a payment of Rs 22.16 crore was made to the company along with a corresponding gain to themselves.
CBI charged BCCL officers including then General Manager PK Dubey, Additional General Manager AK Jha, Area Survey Officer MK Singh, Project Officer BK Jha, Colliery Managers NC Ghosh and Arun Kumar, Colliery Surveyor Lalan Kumar Singh, and AT-Libra BPL (JV) represented through Rahul Singh.
CBI alleged the officers conspired with Rahul Singh to cheat BCCL Dhanbad by showing excess removal of overburden, for which the alleged payment of Rs 22.16 crore was made to his company.
Rahul Singh's company AT-Libra BPL (JV) was given a work order in 2012 by BCCL Dhanbad for removal of coal and overburden for a period of 72 months.
The company submitted fake inflated monthly running bills purportedly showing excess removal which were cleared by the accused BCCL officials.
"The monthly running bills were paid after deducting the previous progressive figure of excavated volume from subsequent progressive figure. AT-Libra (JV) was given extension for additional 625 days for completion of ongoing contractual work," the FIR alleged.