Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Corrupt CSIR Director Embezzles Public Money; gets Support from S K Brahmachari & Prithviraj Chavan

It has been brought to our notice that Dr. Rakesh Tuli (Director, NBRI, Lucknow) is facing serious charges relating to corruption and bad governance practices. Some of these charges are listed below:

1. Misappropriating public money by purchasing very expensive laboratory equipments that are soon written off the government books after the purchase.

2. Most of these expensive equipments are bought for scientists of the institute, but never reaches the institute or scientists working there. And, before one gets to know these equipments are quickly written off the government books.

3. To cover-up this embezzlement of government and public money, Dr. Tuli has been using various intimidating tactics on the scientists of the institute. He has gone to the extent of fabricating false charges on scientists and administrators who oppose his corrupt practices.

4. Dr. Tuli has been providing exaggerated and false data relating to publications to boost his personal profile and show him as a very capable scientist. He used similar corrupt behavior to even get the post of Director, NBRI.

5. Dr. Tuli has also fudged figures relating to the income received by him or the institute from various projects (as grants, royalty, etc.).

Despite such SERIOUS charges and complaints by scientists/administrators of the institute, NO action has been taken against him by either Prithviraj Chavan (Minister S&T) or S K Brahmachari (DG, CSIR). Instead of initiating an independent probe against him, both the senior officials of GoI (i.e. Chavan and Brahmachari) have been working hard to cover-up this matter.

* No action has been taken on the complaints against Dr. Tuli.

* Dr. Tuli is now being supported to buy old and dysfunctional equipments to cleverly show that these equipments indeed came to NBRI and have been written off because they are not functioning.

* Dr. Tuli is resigning on 7th February 2010, which is Sunday.

* Dr. Tuli is being made Director of NABI (National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute) at Mohali. This institute falls under Dept of Biotechnology, which also comes under Ministry of S&T.

OUR QUESTIONS

1. How can equipments worth crores of rupees be bought and all of them written off so quickly?

2. If all the equipments have indeed become faulty, why have charges not been framed against suppliers and people involved in purchase decision of the equipments?

3. Why a thorough investigation has not been done on the credentials of Dr. Tuli when it has now become a public knowledge that he has fabricated publication claims and other important things?

4. Why an official procedure has to be carried out during a weekend (i.e. Sunday)?

5. Why is Brahmachari (DG CSIR) filing a petition in Supreme Court to save this tainted and corrupt Director? Should DG not be suspending his services for the time being and requesting an independent agency to do a thorough investigation?

6. Why is Dr. Tuli now being rewarded the post of Director NABI by Chavan (Minister S&T)?

The above actions clearly demonstrate that some of the very senior officials in Ministry of S&T are colluding to embezzle public money. Ministry of S&T should be renamed as MCP (Ministry of Corrupt Practices)!!

Apart from the above episode, there should be thorough investigation on CSIR (a Ministry of S&T entity) which has lately been facing serious corruption charges. Its BIG budget projects (like a new and expensive campus for IGIB, OSDD) should definitely come under scrutiny.

For details on this matter, visit http://www.projectvijay.blogspot.com .