and work our way upwards through the Indian scenario of
graft. Here Sashi
Menon, after getting a monetary incentive, takes us to
Brigadier Anil Sehgal's house in New Delhi. Sehgal is
the deputy director in DGOS, a crucial army procurement
post. Brigadier Sehgal and Sashi Menon give us the two
things
that we need - a defence product and an entry into the
gravy train. |
SASHI
MENON (to Sehgal): Today we got
that Malaysian binoculars. QA manual. Quality Assurance…call
it as manual type. I think you might not have seen. Today
there…there is a bunch of…one book, booklet is there. Sponsored
by Malaysia…. BRIG. ANIL SEHGAL: I know. I've seen that.
SASHI: Haan.
BRIG. SEHGAL: …in which ADC has written that this should
be handed over to W.E.
SASHI: Haan, W.E. Of course.
TEHELKA: Sir, you have to tell us what are the things
which, what we should do…because…this is a field…
BRIG. SEHGAL: This is a very vast field. It's a very,
very vast field.
TEHELKA: We are the people who have absolutely no…
[Sashi comes and sits next to Sehgal.]
BRIG. SEHGAL: Okay.
BRIG. SEHGAL (continuing where he left off):
There is an annual requirement…what I foresee…at present,
of present equipment of…about 10,000 II tubes per year. And
in the next four to five years I have not yet calculated.
*
* *
TEHELKA: Huge purchases. And those people who are geared…
BRIG. SEHGAL: …good period. I stay in the background….
What I am telling you, don't discuss it with anyone. It's
just between…not meant for your ears also, but then…
SASHI: That way you can put in a peg and prepare it.
BRIG. SEHGAL: If you can find someone to manufacture
the ammunition. That 's also in a big way.
TEHELKA: Where do you want me to go…from Russia, Israel?
I have got base in New York, I have got a base in Canada,
Argentina, Chile I have got.
BRIG. SEHGAL: See, now these II tubes…
TEHELKA: France. They'll be coming to you.
BRIG. SEHGAL: France they've been happily...I'll be
very frank. You have to break this…this thing…of BE-Delft.
BE-Delft is a PSU, which was…India invested. As of late, there
has been a certain policy that nothing would be imported.
There are many people who are really interested in that. So
you have to get the nexus broken up at the top. And this BE-Delft
thing…
TEHELKA: If I become their authorized…
BRIG. SEHGAL: But BE-Delft is not taking anyone else.
TEHELKA: Okay.
BRIG. SEHGAL: BE-Delft is Bharat Electrical (sic) Delft.
Delft is Holland.
TEHELKA: Holland. Okay.
BRIG. SEHGAL: Holland has branched out from itself
after the sanctions. US sanctions. What you have to do is
get little open...because they have been talking big. Yeah,
we can do this much. But he [referring to SASHI] is
aware of it, how much less. They have been taking us, taking
us for a ride. And somehow the bureaucracy also. And things
have been badly manipulated in the Ministry. I'll be very
frank with this. Things have been manipulated in the Ministry
that…delay things deliberately, to suit them.
[Drinks arrive. They toast each other]
*
* *
BRIG. SEHGAL: He doesn't have…there are so many other
things also which are coming in this. Like you have spares.
I can give you which spares' indent was made. I can give you
the last procurement price. Generally what happens, what the
scene is. They are not aware till the last minute what rate
it was taken at. That I can calculate and you will also do.
Everyone has been coming up with an offer. But I said, "Look,
first give me 10 lakhs, then we will talk."
TEHELKA: If they are not ready to place the information
then the question of talking further does not arise. Who wants
to discuss the future? Sir, in this I, my people are very
clear. They have straight away said that "You go ahead and
you be a part of the venture." It's not as if I am separate…would
need a guide.
BRIG. SEHGAL: I can help in so many things. I will
tell you where to go, whom to meet.
TEHELKA: Everything…meaning…you tell me everything.
BRIG. SEHGAL: But then, see, I can show you the way.
TEHELKA: Bilkul.
BRIG. SEHGAL: But you'll have to move on your own.
TEHELKA: Yes, yes, sir. Once you show us the way, we'll
automatically follow it.
*
* *
Soon
enough comes a demand to be entertained in a five-star
hotel.
Brigadier Sehgal comes there with a Lt. Colonel Sharma,
who is an
army officer posted in the Air Force procurement section.
Here,
they are entertained and disclose how to proceed.
|
TEHELKA: Sir, I want to ask…another one thing. One
Mr. B. S. Yadav sitting in the Air Headquarters. It's a foreign
cell. Sales he is dealing, I think in that.
LT. COL. SHARMA: They have got their own procurement.
They are basically dealing with Russians directly.
LT. COL. SHARMA: Because those kind of PNCs [Price
Negotiation Committee] and negotiations are done at the ministry
level. We don't involve ministry in our world. We do it directly.
BRIG. SEHGAL: This behan chod, they've done a very
smart thing. He has kept everything with him.
LT. COL. SHARMA: Fuck it, no CDA, nobody. We issue
the tender, call the bloody parties, do the PNC, give the
supply order. Screw you.
TEHELKA: Sir, this thing you have said, this we can…in
this whatever you say, we can get everything done. We will…
LT. COL. SHARMA: No, but I told you. We are basically
dealing with proprietory items. You have a tie-up with those
people.
TEHELKA: We will get the tie-up done. With whoever
you want, we will get a tie-knot, we'll get anything done.
LT. COL. SHARMA: All right.
TEHELKA: You tell us, you will only have to tell us
who we should tie with and who we should knot up with, who
we should tie the 'naada' with. We will do everything.
And whatever you ask, from a pin to anything you wish…
LT. COL. SHARMA: Thursday…on Thursday come to Room
No. 221 at Vayu Bhawan.
*
* *
|
