Indian Oil Corp's Director (R&D) designate Debangshu Ray, who was suspended for allegedly leaking confidential information to a private firm, has resigned from the state-owned company. Ray, who is General Manager (International Trade) with IOC, was suspended in February-end and penalised in the subsequent department inquiry, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said.
"Ray has resigned from IOC and was relieved on October 9," he said in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha here. Pradhan said government head-hunters PESB had on January 29, 2014 recommended Biswapriya Das, ED, IOC for appointment to the post of Director (R&D), IOC. Anti-corruption watchdog CVC, however, on September 5, 2014 denied vigilance clearance to Das and so he was not appointed to the post.
"Subsequently, on obtaining vigilance clearance from CVC in respect of Shri Debangsu Ray, General Manager, IOC (the second name obtained in the reserve panel from PESB for the post) a proposal for his appointment to the post was sent to Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) and approval of ACC (Appointments Committee of Cabinet) was conveyed by DoPT," he said.
However, the ACC order appointing Ray as Director (R&D) was kept in abeyance as he was just then placed under suspension by IOC and "subsequently major penalty was imposed on him," he said.
His suspension came amid a crackdown on leakage of official documents from several ministries including petroleum, power and coal. To a separate question, Pradhan said 13 persons, including two government officials, have been named as accused in the leakage case. Action against Ray had come close on the heels of the government suspending ONGC's Director (T&FS) Shashi Shankar on February 23 over alleged irregularities in an unawarded Rs 23 crore tender. But a chargesheet against him could not be filed within the stipulated 90 days and Shankar was reinstated in July.
Pradhan said his ministry has taken some steps for safety of official documents like Ministry of Home Affairs being asked to conduct a security audit to ascertain loopholes and CCTVs being installed in sensitive locations. "Vigilance mechanism has been put in place by government in oil PSUs to examine and take action in vigilance cases including financial irregularities," he said.