CBI Finds Losses Over Rs 4,200 Crore In JNPA Dredging Project Corruption Case

Financial losses of over Rs 4,200 crore have been flagged by the CBI in a corruption case linked to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority dredging project, NDTV Profit reported. The case has exposed deep-rooted corruption, inflated costs, and rigged contracts.

A huge network of criminal conspiracy involved manipulated tenders, suppressed competition, and collusion between officials and private firms.

The investigation centred around senior officials of JNPA and executives from Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE). It found a pattern of systemic irregularities and abuse of authority.

The CBI's complaint highlighted two main instances of over-dredging that led to wrongful losses of Rs 365.90 crore in Phase-I and Rs 438 crore in Phase-II. These figures are presented as key findings that initially surfaced during the enquiry.

However, the investigation goes much deeper. The CBI document explicitly notes that these losses are part of a broader web of financial misconduct and criminal conspiracy, which includes inflated estimates, tender manipulation, and rigged bidding processes.

Some of the most serious findings were:

Rs 1,163 crore was added to the project cost due to the choice of a deeper 15-meter vessel draft (Option II) over the originally proposed 14-meter draft (Option I), without reassessment or justification.

A Rs 557 crore loss resulted from the adoption of composite dredging rates for hard and weathered rock, along with unnecessary pretreatment costs, instead of using differential rates.

The violation of PIANC (Permanent International Association of Navigation Congresses) guidelines led to Rs 964 crore in losses due to unauthorized channel widening in both phases.

An additional Rs 430 crore was paid for over-dredging during Phase-II, despite no supporting evidence of required depth.

Sources told NDTV Profit that CBI officials said all accused, including former JNPA Chief Manager Sunil Kumar Madabhavi and Devdutt Bose of TCE, will be summoned for questioning.

"The investigation is ongoing, with further financial and criminal liabilities likely to emerge," a source added.