Government of India has initiated action against M.K. Saxena, Director (Personnel), Heavy Engineering Corporation Limited (HECL), Ranchi, a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Heavy Industries, on charges of “misconduct”. The action against Saxena has been initiated under Rule 27 of the HEC Employees Conduct and Discipline and Appeal Rules 1981, which states procedure for imposing minor penalties.
The office memorandum intimating action against Saxena was issued on 28 April 2020 through Inder Jeet Singh, Under Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries. The memorandum, accessed by The Daily Guardian, states that Saxena rented out a building of HECL to a Ranchi-based private company to set up an office in April 2018. According to the statement, neither did Saxena invite any tender nor did he follow any transparent process to do this allotment.
After the case came to light, the HECL authorities sealed the building, which they had let out to the private company on 1 April 2019. Following this, the owner of the private company moved the Ranchi High Court seeking the de-sealing of the building. In its 24 April 2019 order, the court decided against the petitioner. According to the petitioner, the company was paying a rent of Rs 169,506 per month to HECL and deposited Rs1,593,350 as security money with the HECL.
The petitioner also stated that they had spent a huge sum of money for renovating the building. Similarly, the statement by the Ministry against Saxena also states that he extended another rent agreement for two commercial-cum-residential quarters that were let out to a private entity in 2002 without following the official due process. Saxena, as per the chargesheet, in May 2019 extended the rent agreement without any tender or following a transparent process of allotment. Saxena did not respond to The Daily Guardian’s SMS and call seeking his version to the intended action against him.HECL is one of India’s leading suppliers of equipment and machineries for steel, mining, railways, power, defence, space research, nuclear and strategic sectors.