Senior IAS officer Santhosh Babu’s decision to seek voluntary retirement, and his subsequent transfer from the Department of Information Technology, have led to allegations from DMK president M.K. Stalin that the officer had been under pressure to tweak the tender process for the ₹2,441-crore BharatNet project. Mr. Stalin has demanded a probe by the DVAC into the matter. However, Revenue Minister R.B. Udhayakumar has denied any wrongdoing in the project and has alleged that private companies with vested interests are trying to discredit the scheme. Excerpts:
IAS officer Santhosh Babu, who was responsible for implementing the BharatNet project, has opted for voluntary retirement. It is alleged that he took the decision as he was unable to endure the pressure from the government to tweak the terms of the tender...
Mr. Babu has worked in a number of departments. In 2007, when I was made the IT Minister, he was posted as Secretary in my department. I was subsequently shunted out, but he continued in his post. When I became a Minister again, he worked with me again. This cycle has been going on. Now, he has been posted to another department. Whatever has been in practice is now being blown out of proportion.
What about the allegation that he was asked to tweak the tender process?
We suspect that those in the private sector, who thought they could implement the project, are trying to cause confusion because the government is now implementing it. Private companies like SCV (Sumangali Cable Vision, in which Mr. Stalin’s nephew has a stake) are trying to create confusion. When they (DMK) were in power, they tried to curtail Arasu Cable and promote SCV. We suspect they (DMK leaders) are trying to stall the project so that they could privatise the internet connectivity to villages for the benefit of their families.
BharatNet is a Central government scheme. It is a long-term project. For the first time, the government is going to take internet to the villages, just like cable TV. The Centre has issued guidelines. The government’s intention is to ensure that the project is of a high quality and has a long life. We have got the funds only now. Buildings are ready in 12,540 gram panchayats. The laptops that we gave [under the free laptop scheme]…the kids are using them there. If we provide high-frequency internet connectivity to them, it will start a revolution.
But private companies will participate in the tender process, right?
Yes. But overall, the government is going to implement the project. The OFC has to be laid – 35% underground and 65% towerline. We are studying how some States have implemented this.
Mr. Stalin has demanded a DVAC probe...
Only when the tender conditions are fulfilled will the government give its nod. As of now, work has not started; not a single paisa has been given. The responsibility and accountability is on us, right? They (DMK) can say all this only if we had assigned the work to someone and they had not done it properly. Our question is this – Why are you raising such doubts when the project has not been awarded to anyone?
The Leader of the Opposition has also questioned the appointment of a junior officer as Managing Director of TANFINET...
There are junior officers who are talented and ready to take up challenges and succeed. Only if you give them opportunities will you get to know their abilities. The government has confidence in their abilities.
What is your opinion on Mr. Babu’s decision to opt for VRS?
I don’t want to get into this topic. Has the government released any statement on this? Nothing. Has he said anything about this? Nothing. The DMK’s concern is not about the IAS officer but about preventing the government from getting a good name by rolling out this revolutionary scheme.
