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-7-
NARENDRA
SINGH: So emergency requirements, so far it is not there
in our list.
TEHELKA: Yeah.
NARENDRA SINGH: So, there are...I will tell you there
are number of persons to be contacted. Contacting one person
will not help in MoD also. There are number of persons. One
person will be holding the project.
TEHELKA: Hmm.
NARENDRA SINGH: One person who will be clearing the
demand.
TEHELKA: Yeah.
NARENDRA SINGH: Another person who will be sitting
in the PNC.
TEHELKA: Right.
NARENDRA SINGH: Right? See...so there will be four-five
at working levels.
TEHELKA: Yeah.
NARENDRA SINGH: So I am more concerned with people
who are at the working level.
TEHELKA: Yeah.
NARENDRA SINGH: So, then it is your job, if there are
any problems I will tell you, you will have to handle this
person or that person.
TEHELKA: Okay.
NARENDRA SINGH: So before that...keep, kindly keep
quiet on that and you should not meet anybody till then. And
then I will tell you if it, I mean, comes to that stage then
how to go ahead. You have to tackle that man. How you tackle
that has to be your…
[Narendra Singh smiles and Tehelka gives him a wad of currency
notes, which Singh takes and puts under the table between
them.]
TEHELKA: Sir, this is 10,000 bucks. So what is my request
is that, please arrange these kind of meetings. We can meet
these people in Park Hotel anywhere.
NARENDRA SINGH: Let me tell you...see, you let the
demand come.
TEHELKA: This is 10,000...this is 10,000 bucks. Small,
this is just a…
*
* *
TEHELKA: They are the major players.
NARENDRA SINGH: These are the major players. So…
TEHELKA: Sir, you have any idea, what they are giving
percentage to...
[NARENDRA SINGH shakes his head]
TEHELKA: Hmm? Defence people told me, they are giving
around...more than 21 percentage.
NARENDRA SINGH: Oh, no, no, no.
TEHELKA: Total? I don't think so 21 per cent no one
will give. If 21 per cent, then what is the profit?
NARENDRA SINGH: No. And you, now as per the latest
procedure, if you are not the lowest you are out.
TEHELKA: Yeah.
NARENDRA SINGH: Even if we buy it from you, one thing
is sure, the other two companies will be in the fray.
TEHELKA: Naturally.
NARENDRA SINGH: So you will think of giving the best
price in the first quote. So, even if you are by one dollar,
you are higher than them. You have no chance. Whatever you
have done it goes in the drain. That is another thing. So,
nowadays, that 21 per cent is out of question. It could have
been earlier.
NARENDRA SINGH: But now for the last one-and-a-half
years, the latest instructions have come that contract is
to be based on the L-1, that is lowest offer received. All
higher offers are to be summarily rejected. No talking to
them.
TEHELKA: Okay.
NARENDRA SINGH: So, how…how can you keep that 21…?
TEHELKA: 21 per cent is a big one!
NARENDRA SINGH: It's only two-three per cent and you
see 100 crores. What you see two-three per cent, means it
is two-three crore rupees, you know.
TEHELKA: Yeah. What that procurement officer, that
Ordnance people saying, they need direct 4 percentage.
NARENDRA SINGH: See, let me tell you right now, I mean
because you have come to me, I am very simple, and you will
find out later on also.
TEHELKA: Yeah, naturally.
NARENDRA SINGH: I will not try to misguide you because
our association will be very long also. See, right now, Ordnance
have nothing to do with…
TEHELKA: Yes.
NARENDRA SINGH: Absolutely nothing.
TEHELKA: Yes.
NARENDRA SINGH: They will not come into picture, neither
PPO will come.
TEHELKA: Yeah.
NARENDRA SINGH: It is only W.E. only and Infantry and
Mechanisation and Artillery.
*
* *
|
Meanwhile,Sashi introduces us to H.C. Pant, a deputy director
in the Ministry of Defence. A veteran Delhi bureaucrat,
Pant has been a fixture in Delhi officaldom doing odd
jobs for politicians of all hue. Not only does he know
the Army top brass, he knows all the middlemen in Indian
defence who utilise him for their fixing needs. He is
a veritable gold mine for Operation West End. We start
from our first meeting. We explain where we are with our
HHT project.
|
PANT: I will obviously…
SASHI: File evaluation, but Choudary is not considering
it.
PANT: When you sent the letter to him?
SASHI: When, just…three weeks before.
TEHELKA: One month. One month.
PANT: You got a copy of this?
TEHELKA: Copy of this…
SASHI: No. That covering letter…
TEHELKA: No sir, that I will give you tomorrow.
PANT: Okay, fine. Then I will speak to him.
TEHELKA: Yeah.
SASHI: That…whatever their demand is, let us know.
PANT: Don't worry about these things. Once the job
is done, everything takes care of itself. Why do you worry
about these things?
SASHI: Choudary sahab…
TEHELKA: Okay.
PANT: Forget about all these, first let the work happen,
then we'll do all that. You know Hindi well? You can speak
that?
TEHELKA: Yeah, yeah. Sir, the evaluation work has to
be done. Sir, that is most important.
PANT: Hmm.
SASHI: Sir just said, na, the evaluation work,
I shall speak to sir and get it done. After that only you
meet…
PANT: I will speak to him immediately.
TEHELKA: Okay, okay. General Choudary?
PANT: Yes.
SASHI: And after that sir, there is another financial
party is also there.
PANT: Hmm.
|
Pant
explains how West End should go about henceforth. He offers
to use his proximity with General Choudary and Director
General Infantry, Major General Shankar Prasad to fix
up meetings. |
PANT: Go through. This is a channel basically....
TEHELKA: Yeah.
PANT: You have to go through the DG Infantry. DG Infantry
will recommend it to DGOS or MGO…
TEHELKA: Okay.
PANT: Basically they recommend it to MGO or the DGOS.
DGOS then he will give it to General Choudary. This is basically
the route.
TEHELKA: Yeah.
PANT: DG Infantry General Shankar Prasad, he has to
recommend it first of all.
TEHELKA: Okay.
PANT: So, you have to go the General; I will get you
an appointment with General Shankar Prasad.
TEHELKA: Okay, Shankar Prasad?
PANT: Yeah.
TEHELKA: Okay.
PANT: Yeah. So, better you first…
SASHI: First DG Infantry will recommend the version…
PANT: …to DGOS. This is the channel basically.
TEHELKA: Okay, sir.
PANT: Then I will speak to…I have already spoken to
General Choudary…
TEHELKA: Hmm.
PANT: But he said…but the recommending authority is
we people.
TEHELKA: Okay.
PANT: First you meet him, then they will recommend
it, then it will go to DGOS. DGOS then you meet Colonel Pandey
there. One of my friend is there.
TEHELKA: Okay.
PANT: He is the staff officer of Colonel Soni.
TEHELKA: Okay.
PANT: So, you go to him, and then he will tell…in the
meantime, I will speak to General Choudary.
TEHELKA: Okay, okay.
PANT: This is the channel.
*
* *
He goes onto give details of some secret property
bought by Major General Choudary.
|
PANT: He is a smart chap. General Choudary is a smart
chap.
TEHELKA: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
PANT: Recently he had a tie-up with one of my friend,
for a house in Vasant Vihar, costing about 1.86 crore.
TEHELKA: Okay, General Choudary?
PANT: Yes. That is why I know his ins and out. I have
told him, "Brother, how do you get so much of money?" He says,
"No, no…"
[All laugh]
PANT: I said, "Saala, I will have you locked
up."
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