HCA Pays Rs 2,586/Chair That Costs Rs 150

 Hyderabad: In the latest revelation from an audit report that examined the finances of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), the apex cricketing body in the state paid Rs 2,586 per chair that costs Rs 150 each in the market. In all, the HCA purchased 1,500 bucket chairs at this high cost and paid the money in full. Nevertheless, the vendor, Excellent Enterprises, delayed delivery of the chairs for one year and 11 months.

By keeping the authorised tender committee in the dark, the HCA had called the tender in a short notice of two days, including a Sunday. The payment was made the day after placing the purchase order. The forensic audit observed that Excellent Enterprises was unduly benefited by over Rs 43 lakh.

A forensic audit of HCA carried out from March 2020 to February 2023 listed out the sequence of events and made the clear point that the HCA bosses had picked the vendor with malicious intent.

The approval matrix was not followed at any point. There was no follow-up with regard to inordinate delay in the delivery of chairs. The HCA did not impose liquidated damages for the delay and non-compliance of terms.

The field investigation report said the address of Excellent Enterprises as per its quotations and invoices led officials to St Maria High School. It was found that Excellent Enterprises did not deal in the product mentioned as bucket chairs; it specialised in the sale and service of electrical appliances.

Later, the single-member committee appointed following Supreme Court orders procured a similar bucket chair with same thickness and quality at `150 per unit, or just six per cent of the sum paid by the earlier HCA committee.

Former HCA secretary Shesh Narayan appealed to the state government and Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court to take note of the fraud being played in HCA. “The time is ripe for the enforcement agencies to act and investigate and stem the rot as the fence is eating the crop,” he said

On the direction of single-man committee of Justice L. Nageshwara Rao (retured), the HCA CEO had filed four criminal complaints which were registered as FIRs about 10 months ago against Mohd Azharuddin, the then president, John Manoj, the then vice-president, R. Vijayanand, the then secretary and Surender Kumar Agarwal, the then treasurer in regard to their alleged roles in unusual deals. But, the cases are yet to see any light of the day.