On October 13, state-run power major Damodar Valley Corporation got a new chairman after a gap of 10 months but Subrata Biswas?s appointment appears to have raised the hackles of the central vigilance commission (CVC), which has objected to it and charged the power ministry with overlooking procedures.

In a letter dated October 20 to the power ministry?of which FE has a copy? the CVC wrote: ?It is not understood how the ministry processed Subrata Biswas appointment without receiving vigilance clearance from the commission.?

?It is for your further information that in a case arising out of the CTE (chief technical examiner) examination of some works in DVC, the commission has advised disciplinary action against Biswas. In two more cases, his role has been found to attract disciplinary action,? the letter stated.

Reacting to the CVC letter, Biswas told FE: ?I have joined by the ministry?s order and none other than the Prime Minister has approved it. Now, the CVC and the power ministry have to sort out all that is going on between them.? But the union power ministry has taken cognisance of the latest observation by the CVC. Power secretary HS Brahma said ?the ministry is looking into it.? But he refused to make any further comment on the issue. Calls to power minister Sushil Kumar Shinde went unanswered. The CVC letter has also asked for further details. ?The Commission vide its letter no 009-VGC-46/43134 dated 19.5.2009, (has) requested your ministry to furnish bio-data of officer giving information in respect of officer for preceding 10 years.?

The DVC, a three-way venture between the Centre, West Bengal and Jharkhand governments has capacity addition projects adding up to 5,200 mw lined up, and the company currently generates 2,854 mw, supplying bulk power to industries in West Bengal and Jharkhand.

Of the seven new projects it is implementing, two are joint ventures with Tata Power and SAIL, to add a capacity of 7,250 mw by 2012. Of the 7,250 mw, DVC is supposed to supply 2,500 mw to the national capital region to power Commonwealth Games in 2010. But all the new projects are way behind schedule.

The company reported a profit after tax of Rs 1,126 crore on a turnover of Rs 4,953 crore in 2007-08, but despite repeated attempts, DVC?s director (accounts) TK Gupta, refused to share 08-09 results.

The countdown to Biswas?s appointment began in April, when the Union power ministry sought vigilance clearance of Biswas, then secretary of DVC. His name was apparently number two in the panel figuring after Sreemath Pandey, principal secretary of the chief minister and energy department of Rajasthan.

With Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot refusing to release Pandey, Biswas? name surfaced for the post and the power ministry sought vigilance clearance for him. The power ministry had appointed Pandey for the post in June after a long selection process.