The Quint has reported an Rs 2,000 crore scam involving the purchase of IP-MPLS equipment for the Network for Spectrum (NFS) project from networking major Cisco through Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL). The report said that BSNL tender norms for procuring IP-MPLS equipment for the Network for Spectrum (NFS) project were allegedly tweaked to so that the Rs 2,000 crore contract went to Cisco.
“Documents and sources indicate that senior BSNL, army officials and Cisco executives have been the beneficiaries of the Rs 2,000 crore scam, which began during the UPA regime but spilled over after the Modi-led BJP government assumed power in May 2014,” the report said.
Notably, the publication had on 4 November also reported of a Rs 300-crore scam involving BSNL and Cisco in the name of expanding the existing National Internet Backbone (NIB) infrastructure.
State-owned BSNL today told PTI that the telco will look into allegations of irregularity in award of network equipment tender to Cisco in 2014.
"Prima facie there is no substance to the allegations, but since the reports have come we will look into the matter once again. In the past also, these things have come up before I joined, and a proper reply on the subject has been given," BSNL CMD Anupam Shrivastava was quoted as saying.
Cisco, in a statement to PTI, said that it “strives to maintain high standards of ethics and integrity across the company and around the world. These values are at the forefront of the way we do business every day. We expect our employees and partners to maintain the highest levels of ethical and responsible business practices at all times and we move quickly to investigate any issues or concerns.”
Source: The Quint
