New Delhi, May 13;- RP Gupta, a retired officer from the Indian Administrative Services Gujarat cadre, was removed with immediate effect from the post of Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Solar Energy Corporation of India according to an order issued by the appointments committee of the Cabinet, has sent shockwaves through the country’s renewable energy sector, with media reports linking the move to serious procedural lapses in allotting a Tender.
Though the government has not officially disclosed the reason, multiple media reports suggest that Mr Gupta’s removal is connected to SECI’s controversial clearance of Reliance Power’s bid in a major battery energy storage tender despite the use of fake bank documents.
The tender in question, floated on 26 June 2024, involved the development of a 1,000MW/2,000MWh stand-alone battery energy storage system under tariff-based competitive bidding.
In a statement, SECI acknowledged that the endorsement of the bank guarantee against earnest money deposit issued by a foreign bank submitted by the bidder was fake.
It added that the parent-subsidiary structure of the bidding entity meant that Reliance Power was equally liable and thus had to be debarred.
Reliance Power, in a regulatory filing, claimed it was the victim of a 'fraud, forgery and cheating conspiracy' and confirmed that a criminal complaint was lodged with the economic offences wing of the Delhi Police on 16 October 2024.
Mr Gupta, who took charge of SECI in June 2023, was originally due to complete his term next month.
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