UPPCL denies favouritism, calls allegations ‘baseless’
While the UPPCL said no decision had yet been taken on a separate September 2024 tender aimed at improving financial accounting standards at the division level, the Vidyut Karmachari Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti alleged that the process was deliberately delayed to favour Grant Thornton.
The Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) and its employees’ union are locked in a fresh face-off over the selection of Grant Thornton as a consultant for power sector reforms, with the management dismissing allegations of irregularities as “misleading and baseless”.
While the UPPCL said no decision had yet been taken on a separate September 2024 tender aimed at improving financial accounting standards at the division level, the Vidyut Karmachari Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti alleged that the process was deliberately delayed to favour Grant Thornton.
It was alleged that despite no final decision, the firm had advertised accountant positions in December 2024, mentioning work locations across multiple U.P. discoms.
The committee alleged a “major scam” in the name of privatisation and demanded the sacking of UPPCL director (finance) SK Narang, accusing him of colluding with private firms. It also questioned why the September 2024 tender, in which Grant Thornton reportedly emerged L1 in technical bidding, was kept on hold for months.
Responding to the charges, Narang, in a written statement, said the tender in question was unrelated to the reforms consultancy and aimed purely at improving accounting quality under Ind-AS norms. “Both tenders serve distinct purposes and no decision has been taken yet. All actions are in line with due process,” he said.
