Tangedco engineer faces Rs 2 crore graft charge

The officer who is facing a DVAC case registered under section of Prevention of Corruption Act is K Pandiarajan (58), the superintending engineer/ mechanical, office of the chief engineer/ project -I, Tangedco, who is residing in Nolambur. The investigating agency had also listed his wife Chitra and daughter Sivasankari as accused 

in the FIR. 

A native of Sivagangai, Pandiarajan had joined the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board as an assistant engineer in 1987. Hailing from a poor family, he has not inherited any property. And he is inching close to retirement, said to be this month. 

As per his property returns, Pandiarajan had assets worth Rs 11 lakh in 2003. But at the end of the check period, the value of his assets grew manifold to Rs 3.42 crore. DVAC said that he had acquired assets worth Rs 3.3 crore during the check period, while his known income was Rs 2.78 crore. His expenses were pegged at Rs 1.55 crore during the same period. 

The DVAC said that his total assets, including his expenditure, was Rs 4.86 crore, while income was only Rs 2.78 crore. So, as per the agency’s calculation, Pandiarajan had accumulated disproportionate assets worth Rs 2.08 crore during the check period of 14 years. During the time of check period, he mostly worked in the North Chennai Thermal Power Station in different capacities related to coal handling division. 

As per the TNEB conduct regulations, officers should submit their property returns once in five years. He had submitted his returns only two times in his entire service, DVAC noted.