The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed penalties totalling around ₹2.92 crore on three firms for bid rigging of tenders floated by Indian Railways for procuring brushless DC fans in 2013. The CCI imposed a penalty of ₹2.09 crores, ₹62.37 lakhs and ₹20.01 lakhs and was imposed on Western Electric and Trading Company, Pyramid Electronics and R. Kanwar Electricals respectively. “CCI has held that the firms had shared the market by way of allocation of tenders of Indian Railways for Brushless DC fans amongst themselves under an agreement/ arrangement and indulged in bid rigging or collusive bidding,” an official statement said here on Thursday. The statement added that the anti-competitive conduct of the firms was established based on exchange of rates to be quoted in upcoming tenders amongst the errant firms, numerous calls amongst the key persons of these firms before and during the period of the tenders and admission by one of the firms which confirmed and revealed the existence and modus operandi of the cartel. — Special Correspondent
