The State government has taken steps to blacklist SNC-Lavalin, a Canada-based firm involved in a corruption case relating to the contract for repair and revival of the Pallivasal, Sengulam, and Panniyar hydroelectric projects undertaken during 1995-97, the government informed the Kerala High Court on Thursday.
In an affidavit, the State government said it had decided to blacklist the firm in view of the adverse remarks made by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India with respect to the works it had undertaken for the hydroelectric projects and also the Kuttiyadi extension scheme.
The government submitted that the SNC-Lavalin would not be allowed to participate in any tendering process of the KSEB in future. The SNC-Lavalin has been listed as ninth accused and its former senior vice-president Klaus Triendl as sixth accused in the case. The Thiruvananthapuram CBI Special Court had discharged Pinarayi Vijayan, the former Electricity Minister and CPI(M) State secretary, and all other accused except the SNC-Lavalin and its president from the case. The affidavit was filed in response to a petition filed by K.R Unnithan, former Executive Engineer of the Kerala State Electricity Board, seeking a directive to the State government to blacklist SNC-Lavalin and its associates.
No order issuedThe government said that no order had been issued by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) for blacklisting or debarring or suspending the Canada-based firm from entering into agreement with the KSEB. The SNC-Lavelin was one among the firm empanelled by the Power Finance Corporation, a nodal agency for restructured accelerated power development and reform programme (R-APDRP) under SCADA/DMS (supervisory control and data acquisition and distribution management system) consultants for the distribution of utilities for the services under the Centre government.
